From 2 Jan 98:
-=-=-=-=-=-=~ New Years Message ~=-=-=-=-=-=-
I find the turn-of-the-year fascinating; a time to notice that the clock
does tick, and that we only get a finite number of ticks. Is there
anything you want to get done on your shift?
Is there something you wish "someone else" would do? Why don't you do it
instead?
Did you trade a walk-on part in the war,
for a leading role in a cage? - Pink Floyd
I think I was 40 when it first occurred to me that life is finite; only
after that did I consider that "what I really want to do" could be an
actual option in life. Before that I thought it was my job to always pick
the most advantageous option that came my way, to maximally exploit my
skills -- perhaps what Bob Dylan meant by "to be nothing more than
something you invest in".
It turns out most of us could be anything we want in life, be it architect,
auto mechanic, art historian, or revolutionary: it's will that matters, not
aptitude. You can always take a remedial course if you're slow at
something: very little really requires rocket science or unusual physique.
What a disservice it is to tell kids they're "good at" one thing and
"unsuited" to another, before they're old enough to know what a "life
decision" is all about. Those are the beginnings of disempowering mind
control... and unfortunately, all too effective.
Aptitude is secondary, difficulty is secondary; only what you want is
primary. Set a goal you want to achieve; don't choose a goal because it's
achievable. Having a goal is powerful: your life begins automatically to
organize itself in that direction; your energy can move toward "achieving"
rather than circle around "wishing". The journey of a thousand miles
begins with the first step, but that first step is not made by the feet:
it's made by the mind and it's called _intention_.
-=-=-=-=-=-=~ End of New Years Message ~=-=-=-=-=-=-
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