On getting started

Many different things could prevent you from starting out on an important journey. And having absolutely no idea where you want to go is one obvious option. That’ll do it. Oh, yeah.

There you are standing, staring – stuck at the crossroads so to speak. Going nowhere fast. The clock is ticking. Feels like life is passing you by.

Meanwhile, people are zooming by every which way; moving on with their lives. Sailing away. All around you. Moment by moment, step by step, making progress in their lives. Or so it seems, anyway. The days have turned into weeks and years…and you are still standing still.

No, a journey isn’t much of a journey without a clear destination. It is hard to get excited about doing nothing in particular with your life. A ho-hum, humdrum existence isn’t much to write home about either.

But if you presently lack direction, there is no sense getting more depressed or discouraged about your situation than you already are. What good would that do? Nurturing a melancholic mental state could result in abandoning the whole journey idea altogether. And that would only accelerate your downward spiral or the tailspin you feel you are in. What’s the use? Life is more or less over anyway. Carry on for too long with that type of thinking and…and…and, well I don’t exactly what will happen – but it won’t likely be good.

You might wake up one morning and discover that you are part of the casual culture. At first glance, that might not seem like such a bad thing. Yet another equally legitimate way of dressing and living. Perhaps. But nobody casually does much of anything that matters. Life doesn’t work that way. A number of years ago, I had the opportunity to listen to a jazz band perform at a local university. It was an enjoyable evening. And yet, it seemed to me that some of the students put very little passion and care into the way they dressed or into the way they played. It almost seemed as if these people took pride in their mediocrity. Strange. Odd.

And yes, I am having second thoughts about my own sometimes too casual approach to life. If life on this planet really isn’t much to get excited about, then I suppose it would make sense to adopt a half-hearted approach to every experience and opportunity that comes your way. But you know, deep down you know your life is worth celebrating.

So you have got to find a way to get going, to get moving, to get started. Apathy may seem cool to some, while aimless wandering appeals to others. But is that how you want to go about living your life? Is it? There must be some way for you to know which direction to take. There must be a dream or destination that almost calls out to you as if to say, “You were made for this!”

But why does it appear to be so easy for some people to figure this out while it is incredibly difficult for others?

Perhaps a sense of dissatisfaction with all the obvious travel options is holding you back. No direction is appealing or inspiring for you. Is that it? They all feel second-rate and lame. Might as well stay home and play video games for the next thirty years or so. That’s the spirit. Have you ever felt that way? If you have, may I suggest that at one level this feeling is perfectly normal. And may I continue by saying that you may be expecting too much out of this life to begin with. That could be part of your problem.

If you are looking for something that will really thrill you and inspire you, etc. it is best to look beyond this life. That is where you will find the stellar inspiration. It is. Most things down here aren’t as wonderful as many people say they are. Try to milk too much meaning and purpose and joy merely out of a career, or even a compelling life calling, and you will end up feeling dry. Even people who are passionate about what they do for a living have down days. Some decades may be mostly dull Ask any Olympic athlete: they only have one brief media extravaganza to look forward to every four years.

So then, is this to say that you need to rush out and randomly pick one of the many unsatisfying options? Not exactly. Not quite. Begin, rather, by simply recognizing your discontent for what it is: a hint; a clue. And then, face up to the fact that while you were made for this life you were also made for something beyond this life.

It is okay to sometimes lower your expectations just a wee bit.

Then again, it could be that you also lacked the encouragement and careful guidance that you needed early on in life. Nobody was their to notice what you might have to offer. Nobody stepped forward to tell you what you could become. You were treated instead, quite casually. Human being number (whatever your number is) had arrived on the earth and it was no big deal. You may have been given the impression, over a long period of time, that your life doesn’t really count.

I sincerely hope that this has not happened to you. But this common tragic experience could be another part of the problem. It is easier to believe a lie if you hear it over and over and over again.

Try to determine what is holding you back. Figure it out. For you have a life to live. This world waits to receive your contribution. Maybe it is time to get started.