I have finally done it! Or, to put it better, I have finally done it
and realized it as I woke up this morning.
Two weeks ago, I posted my 300th blog (242nd on
LinkedIn). The moment passed like any
other moment, under the usual process and without fanfare. How did I notice? About a month or two ago, I noticed that I
was getting close, but was more focused on the writing than the number
itself. However, a milestone is a
milestone, no matter if it is accompanied with a brass band (or in my case a
jam band) or tumbleweed rolling across the quiet plains. As a weekly article, there are times where I
think about throwing in the towel, but am always happy that I kept going.
Like anything we do, we have a
choice to either dip our big toe into the water to test the temperature or dive
in head first. When we dip our toe in,
we are hedging against ourselves prepared for the easy out if “all the
conditions” do not meet our needs. When
we dive in, we are truly committed to the action and there is no other option
but to move forward. Life is filled with
these choices – sometimes on a frequent basis and other times not so
frequently. We are all guilty of
this.
About 10 years ago, while
looking for a way to bring in some additional money, I entered the world of
Network Marketing, also known as Multi-level Marketing. The concept interested me in that you were an
independent business owner (entrepreneur) within a business. Taking a dip or diving in? This was a dip; I learned that “selling”, no
matter what the label it was given, was not my forte and I was not willing to
put my body and soul into this venture. This
was a good lesson and I did learn the importance of personal ongoing
development.
Playing music is another great
example. I started with the accordion when
I was nine years old. Almost 48 years
later, I might only occasionally pull out the accordion, but in that time
learned the saxophone, clarinet, guitar, banjo and currently play the keyboards
in two bands. There are many people who
I know and meet that tell me that they wished they still played. For them, it was a dip, but for me and the
people I play with, it was a dive. I
learned that if you enjoy something, it is far easier to keep doing it.
Like with the previous idea,
the same with reading, exercising and food choices. The key is to be able to define what success
means so that one’s goals are attainable, realistic and meaningful. As the famous Yoda quote goes, “Do or do not,
there is no try.” After over 300
articles spanning 6 years, I guess I can say this was more than just sticking
my toe in the water. Even if this does
not dent the universe, cause any great ripple in society or provide unusual
pronouncements, this is something that I can point to that says if you put your
mind to it, you can do it. Sometimes
being that example might provide someone else the inspiration to do, instead of
to try.