Through the Woods (of Life)
Took a ride through the Adirondacks this week; took a
hundred year old wooden boat we’ve had forever to be restored. That’s what old boats need because wood rots,
seams split and paint corrodes. The key
(to this and most other things in life) is to find someone who knows what
they’re doing, someone who’s experienced and reliable. Found just the craftsman in the little town
of Saranac Lake, and boy did I find out a lot about what I don’t know.
That’s the thing about life: no matter how much we know
there’s always a lot more we don’t.
Remember all the things from school you thought were unimportant: how
many of those have you subsequently discovered really are important? Think about people you know who are doing
things that you don’t know enough about: we often gloss over things like that
because we don’t want to admit we don’t know.
And then there’s all the cool things you’ve thought about doing, but
haven’t: it’s not that you couldn’t find out reams of information on the
internet, we often get distracted and don’t follow through.
I’ve thought about taking care of this boat for a long time,
but something else always came up. I’ve wondered about how to fix it myself –
even tried a few things that were less than successful. And finally the old
boat started to worry me – I didn’t want to just let it deteriorate completely:
so I looked up information and resources on the trusty old Internet and that
led me to Saranac Lake.
This boat restoration guy was one of those smiling,
aw-shucks kinds of people that impress you and make you want to know more. As he spoke, he knowingly rubbed and poked
the wood, taking the time to get to know it and us. He had a sparkle in his eye that came through
in his voice – a guy who loves what he does and wouldn’t want to be doing
anything else, anywhere else. They’re everywhere: simple people with passion
for what they do, and happy where they are.
People we can learn from.
Admittedly, I don’t know enough about wooden boats. But it’s not that I wasn’t interested or
couldn’t have learned: I could and should have, but didn’t get around to
it. So maybe not knowing is less about
the information than it is about following your curiosity and making the time
to find out. First you have to admit what you don’t know, then commit to
learning what you want to know, and finally following through with what you’ve
learned. In this case, it will restore
the boat, and maybe rejuvenate me. Now
that’s a journey worth taking.
My message this week is about fueling your passion for
living:
“It’s faith in something
and enthusiasm for something that makes a life worth living.” Oliver Wendell
Holmes Sr.
What makes your life worth
living? All kinds of answers to this
question: family, love, friends, work, dreams, hobbies, goals, and maybe
countless others. For any of those to
motivate you to want and do more you must have faith in it: that means you
believe with all of your body, heart and soul in what it is, why it is, how it
is, and the promises it holds. And it
must make you get up every day wanting to enthusiastically go back to it: with
focus, excitement, freshness, creativity, and a burning desire to apply your
best efforts. You must never get bored,
take anything for granted, or allow your commitment to falter: being in the
moment, never giving up, and maintaining a positive attitude are the hallmarks
of passion and success. Find whatever it
is that excites you and let it fuel your passion for living today!
Stay Well!
No comments:
Post a Comment