The myth of the glorious arrival
What if someone were to invite you to join them on a journey that never ends? Would you join? I think we as humans do not like the idea of something that never ends. I believe we think in terms of beginnings and ends. We love a good book or movie and we anxiously await the ending. We crave resolution, and a perfectly ordered denouement. Perhaps, in our personal lives we crave “ends” when what we should expect and embrace is the endless journey.
In my initial post, I revealed that I am a perfectionist. One of the symptoms of this perfectionism is the belief that in the not-to-distant future I will arrive at some transcendent state where an awe-inspiring perfection is achieved. In this state, I am capable of anything. In fact, everything is easy. There is no grind. My mind is clear. My abilities are perfected. In short, it is what I would call a glorious arrival. I contend the glorious arrival is a myth.
This myth of the glorious arrival is a mirage. I can almost see the glorious arrival in my mind’s eye, but it is always just a little ways off in the distance. However, as with all mirages, I cannot seem to get there. Then, I give up. What a tragedy. But, knowing that the glorious arrival is a myth can restore hope and will provide a proper perspective.
What if we defined success as taking even one small step? Then, if we continue with subsequent steps each individual success compounds towards more and more success. If we embrace that notion, we will be more inclined to shun the glorious arrival and take manageable steps towards progress. It is a self-reinforcing system. I will say it again, it is the doing and the striving that equates to success. Ideally, there will be moments when milestones are achieved, but those milestones are not the end. Rather, those milestones are a moment to celebrate our commitment and effort before we continue on in perpetuity.
The moment that I realized that taking daily steps, or practice, was “the end” it was so incredibly freeing for me. I had been caught in a web of illusory arrivals that stunted my growth and real progress. I hope that the discomfort of not having a discrete conclusion in mind can be offset by the pure exhilaration of improving daily on whatever we feel passionate about. Said another way, I hope we all can find joy in daily improvement without end. This is the infinite human capacity for growth.