Construction and Repair
Necessary, Frustrating, Nice
Road construction and repair reminds me of personal development. We don't usually appreciate construction during the process, but it's a moment of great joy when they finally remove the signs, trucks, and equipment from the road. During the process, we become familiar with the obstacle and hindrance to our progress. We know, however, that there will come a day when we will arrive to that familiar construction zone and not see a worker with the "slow/stop" sign. When we can finally cruise through that familiar stretch of frustrating road, we begin to appreciate the work that had slowed our progress for so long. For transportation and personal development, construction and repair are necessary, often frustrating, but eventually pretty nice paths.
Steve Martin, the Dazzling Plodder
Ever since I can remember, I have loved Steve Martin. I loved his stand-up comedy, I loved his movies, and I loved trying to talk and act like him. Just seeing him or thinking about him makes me smile. I never really thought about why I liked him so much, but there was just something about everything about him. Even now it's difficult to explain his appeal, but I think I figured it out. Steve Martin is a craftsman. In his book, Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life, he said “I did stand-up comedy for 18 years. Ten of those years were spent learning, four years were spent refining, and four years were spent in wild success. I was seeking comic originality, and fame fell on me as a byproduct. The course was more plodding than heroic.” Steve worked extremely hard for several years to learn and hone his craft. Through thousands of performances, he practiced his delivery, experimented with content, and refined his skills. His ability to perform effortlessly required years of great effort and many days of plodding. The result of that great effort was a remarkable artist who could entertain and dazzle.
Construction Zone
Last month I placed a little bet and brought you in on a writing project I'm experimenting with. The project is part of my daily goal to live with purpose, direction, and intention. I have two hopes. One is that you will help provide feedback. The second is that you will spend the next few weeks and months working on your own intentional living projects. Several of you have shared your projects and goals with me and that is awesome! I appreciate your trust and I hope to support you as you move along. We are all definitely under construction. We all have areas in our lives that need attention and intention. Let's keep moving forward, encouraging each other, and making progress. I like to think that "living the dream" is really just being at peace with where we are in the process. Because we are always in the process of improvement.
Be intentional today.
Live the dream today.
And enjoy the day!
The Project
HERE IT IS. And here we go.
These are the first thoughts of the first draft.
Let the construction and repair begin...
