To Not Shrink
"The trick is to keep exploring and not bail out, even when we find out that something is not what we thought. That's what we're going to discover again and again and again. Nothing is what we thought."
(Pema Chödrön, a Buddhist monk)
--
These past few days have felt layered
and mysterious.
So many projects and too many emotions
stacked one atop the other till the very thought of moving forward
leaves me feeling light-headed. Powerless to breathe.
Last night: a calm evening spent with
a lovely co-worker-turned-friend. Glasses of pinot grigio and a movie were
the tonic for the rough day in the office, and we tried not to talk
about the hours at work, the helpless frustrations and the need for perseverance.
These days have not been easy.
I had many expectations
about what life as a professional would be like, and it's
been a challenge to adapt to the realities.
Here is something about life that I do not yet know:
When is the time to not shrink, to persevere...and when is the time to simply quit?
Re your last line: In Dilbert a few weeks ago there was this example of the conflict between "great truths". The first box had someone saying, "The secret to success is perserverance."
ReplyDeleteThen in the second box. "On the other hand, another key to success is knowing to quit." It is up to you to know which of these greats truths applies to your situation.