The Good and the Great

     I was surfing the web earlier today when I came across this quote that stuck with me. 

     I've always felt a deep belief that people are meant to do great and marvelous things with the lives we have, but it's hard not to wonder how much of that greatness is lost by settling on doing things that are just "good enough". 
     It's kind of sad how our lives sometimes unintentionally limit our potential. How comfortability in where we're at and what we do in life gives us a false sense of contentment that we're sometimes too scared to break away from. Too scared to give up. What's even more sad is how most people aren't even aware that it's happening to them until it's too late.
     That scares me.
     I don't want to live a life of mediocrity. A life of stagnation. I don't want to go through life just being "good enough". 
     I want to do great things with the time I've been given. I want my name to be remembered by the masses for the things I've accomplished. 
     I may not know what great things I'll eventually come to do, but I won't be limited by the fear of uncertainty. I will forever push the boundaries in everything I do. Progress in the direction of greatness is better than standing forever still. No matter how "good" it may be. 

     

Good Intentions

     A curious thing happened to me the other day. I was shopping for a few things at a local grocery store and was getting ready to check out. I got in line and started unpacking my basket. I made pleasant small talk with the woman checking out in front of me. Not out of the ordinary for anyone that happens to know me. 

    Anyway, the woman finishes her order and leaves. The cashier starts ringing my items. After a moment, the bagger that was helping both the previous woman and me bag our items looks down and realizes that he had forgotten to give the woman one of her bags. He looks at the bag before looking out of the glass store front to the woman that was still there and leaving. He realizes that he doesn't have time to run the bag out to the woman because the line was getting longer with every passing moment. 

     Here's the curious thing: Without hesitation and without thinking, i put my hand out and tell the bagger I'd run the bag out to the woman real quick, which I did. She was very grateful. I was out and back in the store before the cashier even finished my order. After I paid and got to my car, I sat and pondered over the events of what had happened.

     I began to wonder if the woman truly appreciated my kind act. I mean, sure, in the moment she obviously did. But in the grand scheme of things, was her appreciation just a fleeting moment of thankfulness? I know that what I had done was just a simple act of kindness, but was what I did worth it? I know that I may not have changed the total course of her life by altering an event that could have potentially caused harm, but I'd like to think that in that moment, no matter how short or fleeting it may have been, I made a difference. 

     It seems to me that life, in all of its complexity and intricacies, boils down to a a handful of universal truths, that when combined, make up who we are and who we intend to be.

     Sitting in my car for that quiet moment of reflection made me realize that intention, whether it be good or bad, is a major root of our being. It's the action on those intentions that people judge us on, and ultimately it's those actions that make us who we are and who we become. 

     It was in that moment, that I realized that my kind act WAS worth it. If not for the woman that I helped, it was worth it to me. I don't live my life doing kind things for the recognition of my acts. I do kind things because it is my hope that if I was in need, someone would do the same for me.   

Cagebird Flight

     It's been over a year since I've touched my blog. I'm not really sure what compelled me to update it, but a few days ago I read over all my old posts, saved some, and deleted them all from the site. Kind of like a rebirth of sorts. A fresh starting point. 
     Then, I let it sit. 
     Days passed without so much as a written word. Looking back, I realize now that somewhere between who I used to be and who I am now I lost motivation. I lacked the fire that once burned inside my chest. My posts were once filled with wonder. Hope. Excitement. Curiosity. 
     I was naive. My past self was blinded by young blood running through my veins. My skin was just starting to be touched by the passage of time. Somewhere between then and now, I've grown into the present.
     My previous posts reminded me of a time when I knew where I was going and who I was. They reminded me of me. I'm not quite sure how I ever lost that...
     But, of all the things I've lost, I've also gained a hell of a lot as well. I've gained perspective in life. Hunger for greatness. Restlessness in stagnation. Respect for what I plan to achieve. 
     I may not be who I was before, but I've come to accept that I'm not meant to be. The past is meant to show us where we've been. The future is where we become who we're meant to be. The present belongs to us. 
     I think I'd like to take it in and stay a while.