Today's Circle

One of my favorite sayings:

It is more important to me to be happy than to be right.

I do not have a compelling need or compulsive desire to be right about everything. Matter of fact, there are precious few things I am 100% right about. This is somewhat akin to the suffering idea. We know that life contains generous amounts of suffering. Once we accept that truth it gets easier. It makes it more palatable if we know what it is. When we train with intensity, or add duration, we know that, at one point or another, it is going to hurt a little. Maybe hurt a lot. We also know that the effect from this will cause growth. We will get better at it by repeating it.

Back to the track and more of the same.

Embrace what once induced fear. Accept the truth. Adaptation requires effort. Effort insinuates 'out of comfort zone' levels. Big gains come from big pains. There is no other way.

Further, I am NOT here to tell you that this is the only way. There are many paths. You can run like Forest Gump, swim like Tarzan, or ride like Lance. You can practice yoga, lift weights, swing kettlebells, zoo-zoo Zumba or split cinder blocks with your Chi. Do what you like. Do it with passion and awareness. Do it with grace and joy. And do it often.

It makes me happy to know that in this specific regard, I am 100% right. It may be the ONLY thing I am 100% right about. I have deep questions, big doubts and serious issues with just about everything else, making my take from all of this two-fold:

One: I need to have the patience and presence to allow others the freedom to choose, to practice and to live their lives as they see best, without judgement.

Two: I will dance to the beat of my own drummer. I will NOT be forced into something in which I am a conscientious objector. This is all-inclusive and self-evident. I gotta be me. It may not always be pretty, but to my own self, I will be true.

Sometimes I wonder if it would be easier to just give up and follow. Just shut up and go shopping, watch TV and complain about the gays, or liberals, or blacks, or the cost of super unleaded. Be a NASCAR fan and justify my sloth somehow. Stay numb.

And then I think, sorry pal, you can't do that. Why not? And I hear another of my favorite sayings:

Once begun, better finish. You have things to do, missions to accomplish, goals to achieve. You took that first step. More steps may be painful but they are of great value. There is additional work to be done and nobody is gonna knock on your door and ask if they can do it for you. It is ALL you Bubba. Do or die. Whatsay?

And on that I am pleased to be 100% right. Which of course makes me very happy, completing today's full circle.