Nothing like a 20 mile bike ride to process some junk in your head. A couple of thoughts came to mind, which are variants of common cliches. Yet cliches always have real strong truth behind them… that’s why they become popular and cliched.
Anyway, here’s what I chewed on…
Dreams
It seems like a few of my 101 Things I Want to Do in Life come true. It always amazes me when dreams come true, and I am grateful. Sometimes it seems like they will never happen, but surely with faith and action they do.
If you don’t work to make your dreams come true — even one faltering step after another — they will never be realized. So you can have all the faith you want, but there’s momentum has to occur. The path must be walked. Basically, you can believe in God, but Go’s not going to pick up the pen and write a check for you. Great things happen when we work for them, but we must work for them.
Relationships
Fight for them. It’s really hard to find someone to love. You have to do everything you can on your side of the street to make it work. If it doesn’t, that’s fine, but it’s important to be present, and be giving in a relationship.
I have to be able to look myself in the mirror when it’s all said and done. I can’t feel like I left something on the table or that I held back or let my ego stop me from being a good partner.
Loneliness
Not everyone can be with someone all of the time. And that’s good, because alone periods (just went through 7 months myself) are critical for personal growth.
Look, I don’t care what idealism or romanticism you believe in, but even in the deepest bliss of marriage, everyone is still alone. Companionship is so valued, and rightly so, but we all have our own identities and roads to trudge. That’s life, and so embracing periods of loneliness can be great for getting in touch with one’s self, learn lessons about prior periods of companionship, and realizing self direction and fulfillment. Is it any wonder I came up with the 101 Things while Caitlin was abroad?