Category Archives: Quest

An important meeting tomorrow and another Quest

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Tomorrow, I have an important meeting – a 3rd interview with a firm I approached about working together.  The first two meetings were conducted over the phone, but this one will be face-to-face.  I’m looking forward to it.

Every interview is a vetting process whereby both parties evaluate the other for fit and probability of success.  My previous two meetings gave me a good feeling about those two criteria.  Tomorrow, I’ll get to ask about what it’s like to work for and with this company, and why I should give my time to them.  After all, for many of us, we sell our time – our life – to the companies for whom we work.  They will have an equal opportunity to make the same judgement call about me.

I’m viewing this as a small Quest.  No dragons to slay.  This is really about making sure I don’t create a dragon today that I’ll have to deal with in the future.

A mini-quest and a chance to re-connect

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I know I was going to write about what I’ve learned thus far from writing about Myth, Hope and Life.  However, I want to first write about a spontaneous chance to go on a mini-quest and to re-connect with my daughter.

My wife was out tonight, and that left my daughter and I as free agents.  Once our daughter returned home from a hang-out with friends, the adventure began.  Well, an adventure for us, even if it does not look like a grand adventure here!

At 10 pm, we set out in search of ice cream, and eventually found a shop that was open and could help.  Along the way, we played a mobile app called Akinator, which asks you to select a person – famous or not – and it asks a series of questions in an attempt to guess their name or connection to you, if personal.

Then, we went home and watched episodes of Modern Family till mid-night, and had a ball.

As you can imagine, when you have a teenager, they have very little time for their parents.  At that age, it’s all about friends, school, and for us, drama!

But, tonight, we hung out, and laughed, and talked.  The best night ever!  A return to an old Friday-night ritual that we had lost for a couple years.

Sometimes the quest before us seems like just another day.  However, those mini-quests can make all the difference, for the moments they deliver.  I’m a grateful man tonight.

Taking your own path may not be what others want for you

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As I’ve been considering my path or quest of late, I’ve come to realize that my path may not be what others want for me.  Or, the path others think I should be taking.

Each of us has to strive to live as authentic a life as possible, and that may mean our wishes go counter to those around us.

I’m obviously not speaking of being reckless on the path, just doing what my heart tells me is right – for me.

I’ve come to realize that being the hero of my own life, may not make me a hero in someone else’s life.  But, that’s the gig.

A myth a day …

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The funny thing about looking for and finding myth in your life: you find it!

Here’s to the quest, and the myth(s) surrounding it.

A mini-Quest and a new path

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In my last post, I discussed past points of failure in my life.  It was a sobering exercise for me to commit those words to writing, and they have been on my mind all day.

I was working on a task today – one in which I could have taken the easy, fast path to completion.  However, I had the post from yesterday ringing in my mind.  Quality and care were the order of the day.

I took the quality path, and it led to a longer job, but one in which I was much more satisfied with my effort.  And the end result showed that extra quality, as well.

So, a successful mini-Quest and a new, more interesting path going forward.  A small win, but a proud win.

My past points of failure: insight

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Writing this daily blog has provided me with insights – some big, some small – some important, some not so much.

It has also forced me to be accountable to the truth of my life: good and bad.

Today, while driving in the car, I was shown, if you will, my past points of failure – two of which I’m not proud – and that I seek to improve on each day.

First, I realized that I have too often sought out shortcuts rather than settling in to do the hard work that excellence demands.

Second, I’ve often lacked hope at a soul level – the hope that comes when we feel that we’re good enough, and do deserve the best.

These two qualities, I now realize, have created much struggle and strife in my life. And, they have to go.

My commitment to you, and myself is that I’ll strive to realize when they appear, and then make the appropriate change.

The veil slid back a little today

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Yesterday, I announced my intention to accept the Quest I know of today – to be all I can be.

An interesting thing happened to me today, while I was driving in the car. I was on a 2-hour trip, and I allowed my mind to relax while I drove.

For a brief moment in time, a sense of knowing occurred to me. I became very much at peace, and aware that I was “enough” on this Quest. It lasted for a brief second or two, but was very powerful. I was in a zone or flow that let me know all was going to be all right.

As someone who’s lived a great deal of his life in fear of being real to the world, I was pleasantly surprised to feel the peace and calm of the moment. I am grateful. Thank you.

The Hero’s Quest: Departure and the hero’s refusal

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I mentioned previously that I’m reading Joseph Campbell’s “The Hero with a Thousand Faces”.  He covers  the various stages of the Hero’s Quest.  Stage one is Departure, and one of the elements of this stage is the hero’s refusal of the call.

I’ve often felt that part of my call – the call for many of us, I suspect – is to be all that I can be.  I can’t help but think that I’ve spent a good deal of my life refusing this call.  And, it has affected the nature of my adventure.  I’ve lived a “smaller” life as a result.

Sometimes, I wonder if I still have what it takes to answer the call.  Those thoughts come when I’m feeling low and vulnerable.  I do feel ready, but still feel less courageous and sure, as I hoped I’d be.

I can only imagine that sometimes that’s all I’ll have to go on.  What matters is saying: “Yes!” and figuring out the rest on the Quest.

Ok, then:  “YES!”

Sometimes the Quest is simply taking the next step

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Today, I was reflecting on my Quest. I learned that I have no broad answers today about the quest. And, to be honest, I don’t have any small insights either.

What I do know is that I have to keep moving forward, to take the next step.

Sometimes that’s all we’ve got to go on in a given day, and sometimes that’s enough.

You can’t let the darkness win

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Today, as I worked on sizing up an opportunity, I felt the darkness take hold.

It was the little voice telling me I’m not good enough, not young enough, and not ready.

The interesting thing was that I had an awareness that none of it was true. I’m everything I need to be right now, and I was able to discern that – there was the slight pause or gap which allowed me to insert a more useful message.

That pause has taken years to develop, and I’m grateful that I was able to call on it today.

Tomorrow is a new day. Onward …