This is my 100th post to this blog and when I saw that number come up on the screen,I felt a bit proud about reaching a milestone, that this was an accomplishment worthy of celebration. And that made me wonder why we don't tend to feel that way virtually every day about many things in our lives.
We humans have the unique capacity to think and plan long range, and to set substantial and life benefitting long range goals. That ability is a powerful one that enables us to attain values in our lives that might be outside our reach if we could only think short range. The squirrel cannot build a dynamo.
I have to wonder, however, whether our focus on our long range goals has blinded us and numbed us to our short term accomplishments, and has contributed to our general failure to celebrate them.
For example: Our long range goal is to establish a successful company that will market worldwide and that will make us wealthy. After 6 years, we are marketing in the U.S. and Italy only and we are netting $175,000 annually...a measure of success, but still a way from our long term goals. How do we feel...unhappy that our company hasn't grown as swiftly as we would have liked, frustrated at our inability to more quickly establish ourselves in the global marketplace, secretly embarrassed that we cannot afford a larger home or send our children to private school? Or, pleased with our success to date, happy to be the main support of a healthy and loving family that eats 3 square meals a day and has a comfortable roof over their heads at night, and proud to be an independent and free spirit pursuing our dream?
Many goals are prematurely abandoned because of our failure to identify and take pride in the triumphs achieved along the way. Seemingly unrewarded effort can impel us to turn away from our most treasured dreams. And the reverse is equally true. Feelings of accomplishments along the way can fuel our drive for the journey ahead.
Humans can think of the path ahead. And that is a blessing. But we can also contemplate the path we have travelled and be proud of the distance we have come...and that may he the greatest blessing of all.
So, this is post 100 and I am celebrating. What can you celebrate today?
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