The anger of a gentle skunk

Once in a while, an outlandish idea may flash in my mind, and though it could stay there and keep my thoughts busy for a while, eventually, I will reach to the conclusion that it’s a rather nice-to-have necessity. And it’s not because of its bizarre nature, but my own unwillingness to go deeper and outline all possible aspects to prioritise and make it profitable in practice. Therefore, this idea will sink into a certain “drawer” of my mind and patiently wait for the right time to come and make me take the needed actions.

It’s always nice to have something stored, especially in one of those moments when we thrive to accept the wisdom that everything we have in the here and now is everything we need, irrespective of whether we perceive it as abundance or a resource to create abundance. Moreover, we will be offered a good number of supportive events to refresh that bizarre idea and help us realise what its profound meaning is all about. Consequently, we may get to the point that what we have considered as a nice-to-have necessity is actually a fundamental need.

Conceiving the fundamental need to protect me and survive among all other species came out as a sign of a little skunk. Unquestionably, the fame of this gentle animal was a reason good enough to urge me to get rid as soon as possible of it. Thus, focusing entirely on the smelly surface of that story I missed the chance to read the full content of the message. A mere defence mechanism is not enough to reveal the whole and real nature even of a little skunk, but still, it’s a good first sign to keep away the foes and to be respected.

Some signs and symbols do not come in our life to simply measure our intelligence and emotional advancement. Their only purpose is to make us further grow in order to see their whole beauty, although at a first glance it could be hidden behind some repellent layers. I brought up my little skunk to discover its patience, prudence and peaceful character. This cute fellow taught me that being a gentle person is not a weakness to be ashamed of. I only had to find my defence mechanism and learn how to wisely use it.

The gentleness and the devastating anger are two sides of one and the same medal. It takes time for a peaceful creature to be taken out of emotional control and a great dose of profanity not being able to read all signs which have been shouting “back off.” When the fear of our physical or emotional survival has been triggered, anger comes to take its role as a defence mechanism and not to define us as a “smelly” personality. It gives a reputation powerful enough to keep all trespassers at a healthy distance and the freedom to enjoy the right of being good.

Sisyphean goals

Viewing life as a goal-achievement process might seem as the most natural thing in the world, though the real achievement of the goal can bring a variety of feelings and emotions which at times may lead us to a total emotional imbalance. Once we have overcome the uncertainties to commence a given journey and we have embraced the idea of that goal, it’s too hard to give it up, moreover if we have already felt it realised and completed.

Those first feelings and emotions, to have made us self-confident and content of how the real goal achievement could feel, are aimed to keep us going no matter how hard it could be along the way. Being so strong and lucrative, they often make us forget that we are somewhere at the very beginning or in the middle of the road, and not at the top of the mountain yet. That’s how the first mixed emotions of how we would like to feel and how we actually feel at the moment occur.

While striving to complete the tasks in the here and now, the sweet escape to the future may bring some positive vibes, though that will not result in a stable emotional condition of being fulfilled and satisfied. Very soon we will realise that the harder we push the further we will go away from our goal. Then, our goal may turn into a real Sisyphean trial, which some will label as impossible while others will stick to the idea “never give up your dreams”.

“Let it go” is the next approach, which may feel quite natural in a given goal-achievement process, when the struggle to get closer to what we have wanted has not given the desired result. However, “let it go” does not bring the connotation of sitting blissfully and meditating on “if it is meant to be, it will be”. Expecting miracles will bring another dose of negative emotions to top up on what we have already collected and to foresee the failure of our venture.

As long as we keep ourselves in the present reality and overcome timely the little hardships on the way to our goal, nothing is impossible. If each next step makes us feel good and more confident, that’s a sign that we are on the right track and we can keep on going. Sensing whatever negative vibes, though, is an indication of heading into a wrong direction. The best strategy at that moment is to revise our idea and to reconsider how and what we actually want to achieve. 

The goal-achievement process is above all a self-improvement process and it will not be strange at all when we realise that the initial idea has changed along the way, as well as we have changed ourselves. Some may keep on trying to achieve their goal the Sisyphean way, and what’s more they may finally achieve it. It’s all about the value of what we have reached and how we will feel about it. If you are ready to do it all over again, then all of your efforts have not been in vain. 

Dream regrets

Omne initium est difficile, just like the Latin language, and living with the idea for a smooth new beginning, offering an easy way to the happy ending, is merely doomed to failure. In fact, if you have commenced a dream project without any obstacles and unpredicted issues, then, most probably you have taken the wrong path which will not lead you to the so much desired successful result. The new beginnings are aimed to make us learn and grow, thus leading us to the happy end of a dream fulfillment.

Of course, it all starts with a dream! One of those tickling fantasies which dwell deep in our hearts and we carefully nourish and protect them from the world around in order not to be negatively affected by whoever or whatever might be. Those dreams are our lifeboats when the feelings of being almost drowned in the stagnant waters of mundane reality overwhelm us. They make us feel alive and ready for the next major leap in life, even for the short moment while indulging our sweet escape from the harsh routines. 

Dreaming our dreams is like creating a masterpiece of ethereal colours. They come from the deepest part inside of us, surrounded with tenderness and affection, to finally bloom in front of our eyes as something so real that we can see, sense and almost touch it. We have the feeling that they are heartily calling us and somehow they have been meant to be real. Still, that leading emotion is mixed with the restricting feeling of “look but don’t touch”. Basically, the fear of breaching the restriction is what makes us think dreams are unreal.

Reaching out for our dreams is a challenge to overcome the uncertainty of what “I wish it could be real” to “I can make it real”. It triggers our consciousness to realise the necessity of making a step into the unknown and to strengthen our belief that we can cope with anything that comes our way, even if we fail. Thus, making any step is better than making no step at all, since to keep on watching our own masterpiece from apart is already a certain sign that we will turn that wonderful dream into a bitter regret. 

The moment when a dream has turned into regret, you will realise how many things you could have done to make it real, and it was just you and your fears, creating a thousand excuses for not going out there to fulfill it. Sometimes, it could be too late to start all over again, although that might be only our perceptions confusing us whether it is really too late or that’s the right moment. If you could still hear the call of that dream or regret, just dig it out from the dust, give it a bit of a new shape, if it is necessary, and simply make it real.

Wings of the victory

It’s interesting how a brand new pair of Nike shoes that I “accidentally” received as a gift streamlined my whole creative energy, analysing symbols of freedom and victory, and kept me entirely dipped into the Greek mythology. In an attempt of digging the reason to get those “winged” shoes, all of a sudden the image of Perseus popped up into my mind, holding bravely Gorgon’s head. And then, as if in a perfect moment of synchronicity, Pegasus rushed through the window, reminding me of his birth out of Gorgon’s blood.

While pondering with a significant dose of unwillingness, what a Gorgon I will have to defeat in the real life, I was still glad that Nike, the goddess of victory, was by my side. Life needs heroes after all, and we all need heroes to admire! However, there will be no heroes if there are no feats. That’s why Gods send hardships and big challenges to their beloved ones to be defeated in order to make them heroes, and they, in return, take them with the necessary dignity and honour, knowing that the outcome will be in their favour.

The Greek mythology offers a great number of mystical monsters and unbelievable encounters to be defeated, while on the contrary, real life does not seem to offer the same opportunities for the heroes to be. That’s how we are more likely to accept the myths as something imaginary instead of adjusting our perceptions to interpret the symbolism of the real life challenges. In fact, life offers us as well a great number of opportunities to become heroes, but on the contrary, we take them as punishment or ordeals and a green light to complain.

Our attempts to escape from facing the challenges has made us look for more convenient options to make us stand higher. That’s why we would leave feats for the heroes and choose to be simply successful people. However, being a successful person does not have the same connotation as experiencing the victory of a defeated challenge. The success is just a string of small and maybe not so small achievements which we collect in life. It’s only us testing our own abilities against our own desires and visions of success.

So far so good, but Gods get bored with successful people since they love heroes. Playing on the safe side of life and overcoming the little failures will not make anybody a hero. There must be a big challenge “sent by somebody else” to give the opportunity for someone to become a hero. We may not meet a mystical monster, but we may lose everything to have made us think to be successful. Face the challenge and turn your little success story into victory. You won’t be alone as Gods help their beloved ones in those feats. Just do it one more time, for the feat!

The thorny road to bliss

Just like every day, when I open my social networks, no matter which one, I can find a number of beautiful inspirational quotes, shared with my friends or professional contacts. And that’s lovely, isn’t it? Most probably they post and share them either because they need something exactly like that at the moment, or simply because they like them. A given inspirational quote may remind us of an already overcome experience or a goal achievement, or it could give us as a new direction in life and make us feel a little bit more confident in what we are striving right now.

But it’s not about the quotes and how much they can inspire us as we can get inspired by many other things which the mundane reality can offer. We only have to look around and see the thousand other signs to have been already at our disposal to energize and brighten our day. It’s sometimes difficult to notice the hidden meaning of all those little hints which come to bring a sense of awareness of what we are doing and where we are going to, although they are always right next to us. Those meaningful signs are aimed to support us while thriving to reach that concrete destination we are heading to.

Still, from the moment of getting aware of a given challenge to the moment of the actual achievement of our goal, there’s a long, and to be honest, quite thorny road to be walking down. This thorny road is made to keep us going, to offer us the most important lessons and to prepare us for what we have already planned and defined as our goal or bliss. Keep on going down this road, is basically the real success story of our endeavor. For it is measured by each defeated obstacle on it and how we have been able to take it emotionally, and our strength as well to stand up and keep on going again with the necessary self-confidence.

The greater the goal, the longer the road might be and, of course, there’s a steady reason to support this notion. The real and most beautiful things in our life do not come as a windfall, as we have to be prepared and wise enough to firstly see and then to safeguard them. I know that this road may look quite long and even endless at times while the thorns are painfully tearing our flesh. It’s a real trial to our strength and willingness to keep on going, though we could feel more likely to give it up. That’s the moment to remember that whatever has come on our road is as big enough as we can take it and to go on. 

If, however, you can’t find the strength to stand up and go on, then simply look around for the hidden signs to help you get inspired. They may come as a lovely inspirational quote, shared by a friend or somebody you admire. You can also look for those signs in other places and through other sources. Try to stay open to the world and learn how to observe and absorb each positive vibe around you. It will not take long till you find out the abundance of useful hints which will lead you steadily down your thorny road to bliss. Each next step will make you feel more confident till you finally realise that your goal has been long ago achieved.