The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. Henry David Thoreau, Walden
The journey of 1000 steps may begin with just one step, but it is still 1000 steps long: one foot in front of the other, consistently, persistently, whether you're feeling it or not. When you're in the flow, it's great! Everything you touch is golden: your work is brilliant, you are joyful and at peace, in harmony with your world. During these times, the journey seems effortless and it feels reasonable to hold big dreams.
Wouldn't it be nice if life could always stay happy and bright like that? Well, it doesn't.
Sometimes everything you touch goes all wrong. Sometimes, you find yourself in circumstances that make you feel incompetent, and you realize just how mediocre you really are. Sometimes no matter how well-meaning your intentions, you seem totally out of sync with the rest of your world. During these times, you have to consciously will yourself to keep moving forward, and you feel like you've just been kidding yourself with all those big dreams.
It takes discipline to keep moving along the path toward your dreams, especially during these gray times when it all feels so pointless. This week a friend taught me a word that he learned from his friend Bill W: times like that are called Trudging.
I love that word. Trudging: you're still moving forward; you might not be feeling it, and at this point you can't even figure out if you're on the right road, but you keep putting one foot in front of the other, doing the next right thing with an open heart and a grateful attitude.
I know that my rightful state is one of joy, so I keep trudging on. Eventually, this dark cloud is bound to lift, and the sun will shine itself upon me once more. Meanwhile, I've got about 1000 steps more to go, so it's time to get dressed and head off to rehearsal.
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