There’s only a moment.
A moment where you get to make the most important decision of your life. This moment arrives and can be gone in an instant. And there you are…moment upon you…with the ability to decide…
Turn away or forge ahead.
The challenges never end. They come upon you without mercy and test your resolve, foundation, and character without rest. The challenges are there to teach you and see what you are made of.
But you do get to decide.
Do you escape?
Or do you anchor in?
This moment came to me only a few days ago upon making one of the bigger decisions of my life. A moment that could have added massive amounts of confusion and yet brought about clarity. In a quarter of the year that was very confusing, stressful, and demanding that I step up to the plate and really give it everything I could have…this moment, a test, delivered a huge sigh of relief.
But how could that be?
How could more pressure settle everything?
It did. All I did with that was nod my head and know that instead of re-reouting my entire life I actually had to continue down the path I was currently on. I kept on hearing the voice inside saying…
Forge ahead.
Forge ahead.
You’re almost there, don’t quit now.
Yes…and there was the Captain again gripping the wheel even tighter ready to continue plowing through trying waters. There was no turning back. There was no going in another direction. There was only what was right in front of him and what he had seen all those months ago.
I knew I had lost my focus. I knew I had lost my momentum.
I was looking constantly to see if the end result was there and it was always “just right around the corner.” But I didn’t see the whole thing through. I didn’t stay according to plan because of discouragement.
But a renewed sense of purpose came to me.
And with that purpose, the fire inside started to light again. Another day, another effort, and another opportunity to move forward in the direction I wished for.
A year of renewal…of the same damn vision I’ve had for about 7 months now.
We strive to be the grandest versions of ourselves daily and most of the time we come up short. But that’s the beautiful part of all of this. Because without seeing beyond what we are right now we can never grow. We must see what is inside of us and attempt to bring out those characteristics to the best of our ability.
Yes we will fail time and time again.
But there is glory in the effort.
There is something to be said for the person that fails over and over again and yet they keep coming to the table with enthusiasm and a willingness to try again.
Because one day will be their day.
One day, they will see it through all the way to the end when others would have given up years and years ago.
Take pride in your persistence.
Take pride in your grand efforts and grand failings.
The scars and the victories define you and make you into a bold soul that encourages any action that may bring on victory or defeat.
These are our heroes. Those who may not necessarily be in the lights…but who forge ahead in the darkness…shedding a light of their own.
Evan Sanders
The Better Man Project