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Often times, when disappointment strikes and our hopes are dashed, we long for a clean slate. Our heart gets broken and we decide to move to a new city. We don't get the job and we question our passions and talents. The diagnosis is confirmed and we decide to live an entirely new life.
But there are never brand new starts in life. It's too complicated. Resumes, friendships, and ideas never really disappear. The effect of yesterday leaves too deep a mark on our souls to be forgotten.
When we look at today's rubble and decide to wade through the tattered hopes and dreams before us, we might find something buried deep in the wreckage. Then, by getting to work, we can build a beautiful vessel that takes us towards tomorrow.
This is more than wishful thinking - this is wishful working. Pie-in-the-sky attitudes and admonitions to look on the bright side never get us anywhere. Instead, sitting in the ruins of life with someone and helping them see the potential in their brokenness allows us to help craft a better tomorrow together. Of course, it's messy. But omelets aren't made until eggs are broken, and the sun won't rise tomorrow until we sit through tonight's darkness.
We're lucky if we have someone to help us sift and then build something valuable. The world needs more shipbuilders.
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Comments
11.03.09
You gotta read Barbara Ehrenreich's "Bright-sided: How the Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking Has Undermined America"
http://www.amazon.com/Bright-sided-Relentless-Promotion-Positive-Undermi...
11.03.09
Sam, thank you for this fantastic post. Short, but powerful.
Failure and tattered hopes are just good for refocussing. As long as we're not tied down to the idea of failure and find the time and courage to suit up, and get going at some later time, that's important.
And it's okay to sit around for a bit, looking through the wreckage.
11.03.09
I agree, Mehnaz. We can't let failure stop us. We have to let it shape a better tomorrow.
11.03.09
Haha! @ JRandom42 I'm with you in that a healthy dose of sceptism is the antidote to too much sunshineyness (?word). And I'm also with you @Mehnaz and @Sam because it's what you choose to do with a bad situation that makes all the difference to the outcome. And well I also agree with myself (haha!) that not everyone has the same range of choices. That's where the power of positive thinking movement falls down I think. It fails to recognise, or even acknowledge the limited choices that are available to many people.
11.05.09
Sam, this is very encouraging to read as I've been through ship building myself several times and with others as well. I love your concept, wishful working!
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