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I covet another man’s flower baskets

 

Don’t you love it when you commit to a goal, and then on the way toward its attainment you decide it’s either too ambitious or too painful to keep actively pursuing? Still wanting it isn’t the issue, but maintaining your pace toward it definitely can be.

This tension can feel like programming your GPS (or Google maps app), and then riding the brakes or dragging your heels along the entire route.  “Actually, I think I’ll just pay the cab in advance, exit the car and hold on to the bumper with my teeth. I’ll still end up heading in the direction of my goal, but wow, this is pretty Yabba-Dabba-Damn-Painful.”

It’s clearly not ideal, so why do we do this?

We recognize at a fundamental level that we need to grow and/or change, so we set the goal to alter our course of action. This is usually followed by a quick rush of excitement, because the new goal is so clear, and so brilliant that the world will surely celebrate our legend once it’s accomplished.

But then come the distractions, the hurdles, or the straight-up haters that desperately try to thwart our dreams. How dare they?

Obviously we’re manifesting these apparitions to test our resolve, but once they show up in droves we can lose focus and steam.

My buddy Ralph has that yard in the neighborhood every man wants. The dude’s flower baskets are abundant, thriving, and glorious. Sure he spends a lot of money on annuals and water, but what’s his secret power?

He nurtures the desired outcome, every day. He relentlessly polishes and protects his dream. No wonder it thrives. No wonder other manly-ass men covet another dude’s flower baskets. No wonder so many cars slow roll past their house every evening throughout the summer.

So writing (and rewriting) our desired outcome isn’t always enough, because the journey or path alters the outcome itself. We have to continually refine & nurture the desired outcome based on the latest information, market feedback, or tweaks in our trajectory.

Who wouldn’t want to take the most direct, traffic-free route? When we’re out on the ground though, it can look more like a labyrinth or obstacle course. So the point isn’t to bypass every test of our resolve, it’s to prevent them in some cases, and confront and conquer them in others.

We’ll not only get to that next level. We’ll get there with a whole new suite of tools and skills we picked up along the way.

Dust off your biggest dream and polish that sucker up. Remind yourself why you want it so badly. Remind yourself why it belongs to you. Tend to it. Protect it. Take some form of action on it every single day.

Head out into your week knowing that it is very much alive within you and no one is capable of taking it away.

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4 Responses

  1. Talk about coveting — Man! I've been journaling/writing for some time now, and recent Christ-centered discernment has led me to considering creating a "spiritual catalyst" blog similar in many ways to yours. I was tossing around "epiclife" as my blog title. That's when I discovered yours. Oh, well, back to the whats-in-a-name drawing board! Your writing (and no doubt, you) have a cool-factor that I'm major coveting!! I'm guessing that coolness permeates your entire being? I suppose I'm hoping you had to sandblast away layers and years of lead-based "ugly" to expose your catalyst cool factor – no? While I'm loving your stories, I'm a bit disheartened at the same time. Guess that's my Negative Ego you've talked about here that's getting in my way. Anyway, keep up the good work & bring-on the Manifesto!

    1. Hey brother, thanks for your kind words. Congrats on the Christ-centered discernment. Achieving some level of God realization within this (epic) lifetime is all that really matters, right? Happy for you.
      If you have these desires and beliefs that a Spiritual Catalyst is within you, than IT IS. It's a great big massive universe out here, and the world needs more like us. We always seem to trip over each other.

      Do your thing man, and I know I'll be a fan. My only advice is just get it rolling, don't worry about the name or even the voice. Just focus on who you want to serve and get to work. You seem to have your "WHY?" coming into focus pretty clearly.

      Can't wait to share the Manifesto. It's about 10K words, and getting increasingly hard to edit, so it's telling me it's near complete.

      Much love, and THANKS. I'm ready to go kick my day in the fucking nuts.

      Hahahha. Peace.

      kc

  2. KC –
    I found your blog through a twitter share half a year ago and have been a fan ever since. Your words are art. Your vision is profound. Most of all, you have a true sense of self. THANK YOU for doing what you do and doing what you love. I'm on an epic journey trying to start a group home for people with special needs (in honor of my brother)…When the days are tough and doors are shut, I turn to this blog for a drink of encouragement.
    Namaste.
    Melissa
    @IssaDanielsen / http://www.joshsplacehomes.blogspot.com

    1. Hey Melissa, thanks for the kind words. Really admirable work you're doing for your brother's legacy. Just watched the vid of you and your sister.
      Really happy you found the new site, as it's just getting rolling. I moved over to This Epic Life back in March and now it's full steam ahead.
      If there are any specific topics you're looking to hear more about, you just let me know, COOL? Happy to help any way I can.

      Much love and namaste.

      kc

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