Marlow's Musings 3/3/24
Insights, adventures and fun stuff from this week.
Audio narration by David Marlow
What Green Slime Taught Me About Being Authentic
Years ago, I read something from Stephen Chbosky that rang true in both his thoughts and admission that he didn't understand his feelings.
This week, I was reminded of what he said and his feelings. Maybe this speaks to where you are as well.
"So, this is my life. And I want you to know that I am both happy and sad,
and I am still trying to figure out how this could be."
Stephen Chbosky
We all get plenty of advice on authenticity. So much, in fact, I'm concerned that the value of being authentic is being diluted by becoming 'a thing', a buzzword.
The quote by Chbosky highlights the importance of accepting and embracing our true selves, even if we are still figuring things out—not hiding or denying parts of our lives that we may feel ashamed of or uncomfortable admitting.
The truth is authenticity can be uncomfortable.
Here’s a personal example. When I first started running, I needed a new pair of shoes. I'm fortunate enough to have one of the top-running stores in the country right near my home.
They brought out a pair of white running shoes that felt fabulous. They were also perfect for my running form.
I asked the person helping me if they came in any other colors. She hinted that most people my age liked white, but she'd look. 😎
Being a new runner, I might have gone with the white, not wanting to show off.
Instead of worrying about appearances, I thought about what I wanted.
I wanted something other than white, not to show off, rather to express myself.
She came back with blue, red, and slime neon green. Guess which one I went with? Yep, slime neon green.
At first, I was a bit self-conscious about being an older guy and a new runner wearing 'look at me' shoes.
Then I embraced it. I can't tell you how many compliments I got on those shoes from other runners and passers-by on the roads.
When a pair wasn’t good enough for running, they became everyday shoes. I’d often wear old running shoes when I did presentations at work, and they became my 'brand.'
The first picture is one of my latest pairs. The second is what the original Slime Green looked like. I've not purchased an ordinary-looking pair since.
Being authentic is acting congruently with your values and is absolutely necessary to living out our Ikigai. Most people aren't willing to go deep enough to examine and ultimately realize the person they present isn't their authentic self.
Word of the Week
Leap (v.)
lēp
1: To jump with great intensity or energy.
2: Eagerly accept an opportunity.
To leap can be for joy or as part of a dance. ‘Taking the leap’ can mean getting married or jumping into a new endeavor, and of course, marriage is both.
In case you missed it…
This week’s Ikigai Thought for Today was Mind the Gain…
Too often, we look at what still needs to be done and ignore how far we've already come. Instead of paying attention to the gap in life, let’s mind the gain.
Ikiquest+
This week’s Coffee Contemplation for Ikiquest+ subscribers concluded the series on Humilty, Curiosity and Grace with an exercise exploring the Three Virtues.
Ikiquest+ subscribers can listen to it in audio narration or read the transcription.
Comment of the Week:
The comment of the week comes from Joseph in response to reading the idea that ‘the impossible takes a little longer.”
Many things seem impossible until we find them done in a 'vain' attempt.
Roger Banister's breaking of the four-minute mile was the ‘vain’ or hopeless attempt he referenced.
I appreciated the comment even more because it prompted a conversation between Joseph and me where I came away more informed on something I thought I already knew. It provided this week’s quote I’m pondering as well.
Quote I’m Pondering
This thought is derived from Charles Alexandre de Calonne…
"The difficult we do immediately, the impossible takes a little longer"
The expression, “the impossible takes a little longer,” is far richer in meaning than I knew previously. I had heard it as the title of a book and it spoke directly to my heart.
The idea that what seems impossible is doable, though it might take a little longer than things done previously, appeals to the risk-taker in me.
The quote above isn’t even the original thought from Calonne, who, as the French Finance Minister, said to Queen Marie Antoinette, “If it is simply difficult, it is done. If it is impossible, it shall be done.”
The whole story, and a number of variations, can be found at Quote Investigator.
Interesting Thing I Saw This Week
The website One Minute Focus is a fun place designed to help you refocus your brain. As the directions clearly state hit start and focus on the dot for a minute. The dot disappears after a minute, so you don’t even have to time it.
Here’s more on the people who created it and why.
Final Thoughts
January of this year marked 32 years since I first moved from Texas to Wisconsin. I had to be in Wisconsin early to start my new job, which left the task of selling our home and arranging the move to my wife.
She and the kids (we only had the boys then) followed more than a month later, arriving on February 29th, making this past week the 8th anniversary of their arrival in Wisconsin.
When they arrived after an arduous 19-hour journey in a safe though less-than-optimal vehicle, I hugged my exhausted wife, then turned to the boys. They were thrilled to see me, but the hello was quick. They had to tell me about the animal that mom hit with the car.
Sure enough, in the wheel well of the car was a chunk of fur from an unlucky coyote. I had a promotion and a new career; she left family, friends, and the dream home she loved…and then she hit a coyote.
We’ve built a splendid life in Wisconsin and consider it our home. Every four years, through a quirk of timing, I get a reminder of how much my wife has sacrificed over the years and how much I love her.
Quest well.
Given how much you run in the snow, the green is probably good from a safety standpoint if nothing else.
So many great points! I like the slime green sneakers. I had bright orange once also good for seeing if cars around. Leap is good yet we must look before we leap as well 😀