Back where we finished in the last blog, Boats and Flowers – borrowing someone else’s wise words. I was lucky enough to join a livestream presentation at work from the incredibly inspiring Anthony Robles. If you’ve not heard of him, look him up. His story is amazing, emotional, and uplifting.
In short, Anthony is an American wrestler who won the 2011 NCAA individual wrestling national championship, despite being born with only one leg.
Anthony is known for the phrase “Don’t let your challenge become your excuse,” a motto instilled in him by his mother. It’s phrase that encapsulates his life’s journey and it really struck home with me, in many ways.
It’s one of those things that I see as been a personal blocker. It seems like forever whatever challenge I had step across my path; or hit the ground in front of me, that became my excuse for inaction.
Digging a hole could easily have a subplot, ‘in search of the bottom’. That’s where my head is going. Hopefully, I will navigate my thought process and unleash more rambling from an aging person who is in search of his true self. Just in case the grumpy exterior is just a cover, or really is me at the core.
Bear with me. On a recent short visit to beautiful Devon, we were on the beach and I was fascinated watching Bubbles digging in the sand. FYI, if you don’t know her, Bubbles is our gorgeous pooch. You’ll get used to her as she will appear regularly in my ramblings.
Anyway, she just kept on digging, looking incredibly proud, and dug some more. Her challenge was to dig until she got where she was going. The fact that she had no idea where the bottom was did not stop her in her relentless challenge. No excuses, it had to be found.
I think it would be incredible to replicate the mind of a dog. Ultimately, their mantra really is – just do it.
What stopped her still been there now, digging away? Me! The tide was coming in, I didn’t want the cost of another hour in the car park, etc. you know, the human stuff. As I had said before, dogs live in an amazing world of love and what’s happening right in that moment. Humans have a head full of everything else. Yes, love is there but there’s too much of too much and so on.
Maybe I’m confusing things by linking the 2 ideas – I do that a lot.
But, then, I guess it’s understanding that if your plan is to dig a proverbial hole, before you start, know why you are and what you want to find. Understand that it might take longer than you expected. But, the challenge is to continue and not let the extra effort be the excuse to stop.
Perhaps, sometimes, maybe, the actual challenge might be to not start digging and just see what happens.
Now, if you’re confused, I challenge you to start at the top and read it all over again. If you’re still confused, welcome to my world.
However, back to the words of wisdom. Don’t let your challenge become your excuse. This is where I need to learn. The challenge – as I’ve already said – do I need to start digging? If the answer is yes, what am I looking for? If I know what that is, then time to start digging. No excuses. If the answer is no, the challenge is not to start an unnecessary strife until I know what I’m looking for.
Or, maybe it’s a case of just release your inner dog. Just start digging. Be Bubbles. If you do start, don’t stop. You’ll get there. Eventually. And, if I walk by and try and stop you. Hit me with the shovel and send me back to the boats and flowers.
And, if that makes any sense, I need to meet you. We’ll get on. Until then, pop some music on – Sleep Token are at the top of the list at the moment.
Until then. Have a good day.
Jon
View From The Ground 