We all have our obstacles, the daily struggles we try to overcome in an effort to be our best selves, to live our best lives, to reach whatever pinnacle of fulfillment possible. They say you should never compare your journey with anyone else’s, or look to compete in such a category. To each, his or her own; live and let live, and every other cliché in the book.

There are times when this is more difficult than others, of course. Moments when the inclination is to reach out, to try to repair, to take on responsibility for things which we bear none. Ultimately, it is up to each individual to chart a course, to find the way that leads to that which they are seeking. In that, no one else can intercede. 

This topic comes to me in looking back over the last year and noting that the greatest realization was in accepting that certain people will never change, will never become what you wish them to be, will never react in the way you have determined to be most appropriate; these expectations are simply unrealistic, and an almost guaranteed recipe for disappointment.

Along the same vein, the topic of my favorite weekly podcast happened to coincide in discussing the process of being able to manage anticipation in such a way as to not have your psyche completely crushed if they don’t happen to be met. It focused on envisioning your ideal situation, enjoying it in the context of something hopeful on the horizon - and then letting it go and accepting the current context for what it is, being in the moment and choosing a constructive way to deal with it. 

Easier said than done, to be sure. But such is the essence of life. If there were no obstacles, where would the satisfaction be in overcoming them? How would we even know if we were moving forward, or simply existing in complacency, never striving for something better? I know, most readers would probably prefer that level of contentment; but reality is seldom this simple. 

And so, we press on - minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day, week by week, month by month, year by year… until someday, at some point in time, we look back to realize that we have, in fact, accomplished quite a bit by simply being able to rise above and persevere. As different as the individual journeys may be, I think it’s safe to say this is a common goal. 

Here’s to smoother paths ahead. 

Published: January 17, 2018