Strucknwords

How near were you to your point today? Did you have one? Did you get up thinking about it? And, after trying, did you get to your point, or were just short of coming real close? Do you ever do that? Get up, and ask yourself what is the point? What exactly do I want to accomplish today, and then sometimes, in that moment, do you ever find yourself simply o.k. with it being not that much? It’s maybe a recipe that you’ve found in your cabinet that you haven’t tried yet. It’s the new tips in the latest book you’ve read. Or, maybe it’s just staying in bed with that book. It might be running the hike that you usually walk. Accomplishing that one thing would be just fine with you and you would, at the end of it, still feel that you seized the day.

But then, the day is done, and while lying in bed, you question your use of it. It’s slipped away, but you take to your sleep the fact that you get another chance tomorrow, to do something more fabulous, and more meaningful, but today, today, you were simply fantastic at that one small thing. You needed it to be small and insignificant. Rest.

I feel like most of my close friends and family are machines that simply can’t turn it off. They are passionate experts at what they do. For the most part, I’ve chosen to surround myself with people who love their lives, whatever that may be, and they happen to be damn good at what they do. Be it professional environments or not, there is this common ground for a strong work ethic in my crowd that can’t be ignored. We grind it out day in, and day out, and yes, while there is payment for those deeds, I find myself completely annoyed by the large quantity of robots walking our planet that aren’t like those that I love. I’m jealous. I want to be able to just not. care. at. all. Instead, I grow and nourish my energy so that I can keep going and I surround myself with others that have that same sort of energy because in the end, that is what makes a difference for the world.

The world needs all of us. We are in this together. When you think about the immense task set before you each day, that is if you are not a robot, it’s fucking intimidating. Being honest with yourself, it’s this gigantic monster. Because, in reality, we aren’t going to improve simply by exercising our right to vote. Or by recycling. We aren’t going to make waves by sending a check in to the latest non-profit organization that we belong to in a given year. Even attempting an earth-friendly diet is miniscule when it comes to impact. It’s way more demanding than that and I’m not sure much of humanity gets that. I easily unravel when thinking about it. We are only going to get better when we decide to be contagious about our convictions. Our moral compass. Our ethical practices.

So, when am I ever going to get real good at relaxing? At saying that it is what it is and what I’m doing is just this small fraction of good, and when you add it up with all of the other fractions of good, that it has to equate to something spectacular, no? It has to eradicate some of the evil, and replace it with peace. Sometimes, I relish in the small amounts of peace that I discover each day.

For instance, my cat. When I’m watching my cat playing with one of my hair rubber bands, and having the time of his life, I’d like to say that my team is wiser, but in reality, I can get real jealous of him. Easily. He is just living in the moment, but he does that all of the time. Without guilt, and without despair. He doesn’t have to worry about the state of our planet or the magnitude of his day. He lives in bliss.

I don’t think we are as good at it as my cat Henry, but we too can celebrate perfection in simplicity. We can turn that pressure off. We turn it off in the corners of our home, in our favorite woods, in the brewery that forgives us of all of our lameness. We can live in bliss, and some of us, with absolute freedom, hiding from society and the intensity of its need.

An example for me is this favorite trail nearby my house. I remember the first time that I did the trail, and how I knew it was going to be this regular gig. I just felt it right away; I trusted that it would feed my needs each and every time. It’s cool in that it offers something for everyone: a long approach, views of some special sites over the city, long winding sections, gradual climbs, options for other routes, the sound of a rushing river, variety in terrain, various tree patterns, and an intense ending. You can see this small mountain formation called Sleeping Lady (see above picture) from this trail often; you can see her from many places in the city, but she always reminds me of my cat. Content with the stillness of being. Sometimes, I hike it and sometimes, I run-it has forgiveness for all levels of fitness, but leads you to a nice reward either way.

It’s called Near Point, which aptly names the trail leading to the climb nearby, as well as the result of most of my daily quests. I wish I could get to the point I’ve set for the day, despite all of the obstacles, but it also reminds me that it’s o.k. if I don’t. If I do something fabulous each day, that’s a wonderful thing.

I am Near Point-almost always. Maybe you are too. Maybe hitting close to the mark is what it’s all about because of the energy we expand trying to get to the point. At least we are throwing it out there to the universe. Those of us who are thinking about it are getting better and better at getting there.

Mother Earth thanks us for it.