Every time I am in an airplane, taxiing down the runway in preparation for take-off, a battle is raging within. In the red corner is Dread, growling like a caged animal waiting for mealtime. In the blue corner is Anticipation- slightly under-weight but glancing around with hopeful eyes.
As we begin to gather pace, and the engines start to roar from under the seats, my own Rumble In the Jungle threatens to become a very one-sided contest. Every strange sound and vibrating rivet is like a solid uppercut to the head; at this point Dread clearly has the advantage.
Anticipation, however, fights gamely on, because it knows from experience that once the initial flurry of blows have subsided, Dread's deadly grip is gradually loosened. And then, it happens- the plane has suddenly reached cruising altitude, the vibrating sounds stop, the seatbelt lights go off. Bruised and bloodied though it may be, Anticipation is unbowed and ultimately victorious.
It seems to me that anything truly meaningful that is worth doing with all your heart and spirit, would (and should) produce a similar battle within yourself. This is because it requires a leap; of faith, and of imagination. There is always an element of fear when setting off to an unfamiliar place; particularly when the journey involves putting a bit of yourself out into the wild where critics, cynics, trolls and other dream-eating creatures lie in wait for their next prey.
Just like when you're on a plane, though, with no control over what's going on in the cockpit ahead of you, I guess the only option is to sit back, enjoy the fight/flight as best you can, and know that if you see this thing through, there is going to be only one winner. The fear is always scary (it wouldn't be fear otherwise), but put your money on the little guy in the blue corner and you will be quids in every time.
Sometimes, maybe even all the time, you need to believe that no matter how painful it seems, the journey will be worth it, and the place you arrive at will be better than the one you are leaving behind. That might just make all the difference.
PS: I recently took a somewhat more literal leap of faith; but more on that later...
As we begin to gather pace, and the engines start to roar from under the seats, my own Rumble In the Jungle threatens to become a very one-sided contest. Every strange sound and vibrating rivet is like a solid uppercut to the head; at this point Dread clearly has the advantage.
Anticipation, however, fights gamely on, because it knows from experience that once the initial flurry of blows have subsided, Dread's deadly grip is gradually loosened. And then, it happens- the plane has suddenly reached cruising altitude, the vibrating sounds stop, the seatbelt lights go off. Bruised and bloodied though it may be, Anticipation is unbowed and ultimately victorious.
It seems to me that anything truly meaningful that is worth doing with all your heart and spirit, would (and should) produce a similar battle within yourself. This is because it requires a leap; of faith, and of imagination. There is always an element of fear when setting off to an unfamiliar place; particularly when the journey involves putting a bit of yourself out into the wild where critics, cynics, trolls and other dream-eating creatures lie in wait for their next prey.
Just like when you're on a plane, though, with no control over what's going on in the cockpit ahead of you, I guess the only option is to sit back, enjoy the fight/flight as best you can, and know that if you see this thing through, there is going to be only one winner. The fear is always scary (it wouldn't be fear otherwise), but put your money on the little guy in the blue corner and you will be quids in every time.
Sometimes, maybe even all the time, you need to believe that no matter how painful it seems, the journey will be worth it, and the place you arrive at will be better than the one you are leaving behind. That might just make all the difference.
PS: I recently took a somewhat more literal leap of faith; but more on that later...
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