"It's hard to think about momentum when I'm just trying to survive the summer."
Again, my buzzword all year has been Momentum: "May the momentum continue, and continue to increase." I didn't think much about it last month, but albeit in some directions I didn't anticipate, the momentum did indeed continue in some very noticeable ways. Given a choice in the matter, I would just as soon redirect it back in a more positive direction, but momentum itself isn't concerned with direction...only motion.
And sometimes, the correct answer to some of life's questions is, "No, That's not the right path to take." I've learned over the years that I'm allowed to make mistakes, that most things in this world don't last forever and that one of the biggest advantages to my worldview is that I really can trust the momentum that is very present in my life - even if it doesn't take me exactly where I want to go.
I'm not an athlete by any stretch of the imagination. In fact I'm kind of a weenie when it comes to intense physical activity. I could have been a great basketball player except that I'm too short, too fat, totally uncoordinated, half blind, with the reflexes of the Titanic and don't give two shakes of a rat's ass about it. But other than that, I'd have been really good at it.
But in reading other people's experiences with working out, it seems not uncommon to reach what some call a plateau and others call a wall. They work hard and get steadily better until a certain place is achieved where no matter how much they work, how hard they try or what they do, they can't get up to the next level. Growth and improvement seem to stagnate, and forward motion seems to stop.
I think I found the wall in a few different areas of life.
So I need to learn from athletes (if that's possible) and apply some of their tactics. As I understand these tactics, they are themes and variations of the following:
Patience. Life is a process, not an event. The plateau is part of the process, not counterproductive to it. Ride it out knowing that the wall is temporary and will someday soon crumble to the ground.
Discipline. (God I hate that word.) You know what to do, do it on purpose. Results will follow, but whether they do or not, do what's right anyway.
Flexibility. Be willing to change, to try new things and to expand your horizons and thought process. Sometimes, the things that got you this far have done all they can. It's time for something new.
Attitude. Above all else, don't let frustration or doubt (or cynicism) rule the day. These things are self defeating and self destructive. A bad attitude serves no purpose at all except to steal precious energy. Judge it as a lie, and throw it out.
Reflection. Take some time to look at how far you've come and how many walls you've already broken through. This one seems bigger than any of the others, but the others seemed that way too before you broke through them.
Seek Wisdom from others who seem to have already broken through your wall. Through observation and imitation, learn from their experiences.
Encourage Someone whose wall you have already breached. Freely share with others that which has already been freely shared with you.
Have Faith. You're not alone, and life is not a series of random events.
Momentum wanted me to hear all of that, and calls me onward. And I'm OK with putting anything I need to on the line to follow the momentum. Maybe I need a new job, a new city, a new goal. Maybe I need to take better care of the job and life I already have. Maybe I need to ...
Hopefully as August unfolds, I'll realize what it is that I need to do. I'm excited to figure it out.