ONE Fulfilling Yes
This month, I venture into my master's program. I am eager to begin and simultaneously anxious for the expectations that I will take on. I'm excited for this new chapter, but also fearful for how I can add any additional chapters into this giant, lovely novel that I'm already in the midst of.
I recently posted a quote from David Brooks' The Road to Character on the Educate My Heart facebook page, and again, another passage from his book spoke to me as I venture into this next journey:
"...many contemporary young people are plagued by a frantic fear of missing out. The world has provided them with a superabundance of neat things to do. Naturally, they hunger to seize every opportunity and taste every experience. They want to grab all the goodies in front of them. They want to say yes to every product in the grocery store. They are terrified of missing out on anything that looks exciting.
But by not renouncing any of them they spread themselves thin.
What’s worse, they turn themselves into goodie seekers, greedy for every experience and exclusively focused on self. If you live in this way, you turn into a shrewd tactician, making a series of cautious semi commitments without really surrendering to some larger purpose.
You lose the ability to say a hundred noes for the sake of one overwhelming and fulfilling yes."
Yes. I mean... no. I mean...
I am confronting the fact that when something is added to your plate, you need to say that naughty word... "no".... to something else. Like this very blog.
My noncommittal self wants to say "maybe", but I think it has to be a resounding "no" to posting for at least this first month as I see how all of the pieces fall into place.
There's a great chance that new inspiration to write will bloom out of my new reflections, but there's also a great chance that I will be required to write all of those on long, long research papers and projects, and I definitely don't want to copy & paste because those audiences and purposes differ quite greatly!
So I'm saying bye--for now--as I take on this program. Thank you all for supporting me in this journey and thank you for the reflections you've shared that have helped me to stop & think as well.
Here's to saying at least one "no" in support of one, resounding yes!
Kristy
I recently posted a quote from David Brooks' The Road to Character on the Educate My Heart facebook page, and again, another passage from his book spoke to me as I venture into this next journey:
"...many contemporary young people are plagued by a frantic fear of missing out. The world has provided them with a superabundance of neat things to do. Naturally, they hunger to seize every opportunity and taste every experience. They want to grab all the goodies in front of them. They want to say yes to every product in the grocery store. They are terrified of missing out on anything that looks exciting.
But by not renouncing any of them they spread themselves thin.
What’s worse, they turn themselves into goodie seekers, greedy for every experience and exclusively focused on self. If you live in this way, you turn into a shrewd tactician, making a series of cautious semi commitments without really surrendering to some larger purpose.
You lose the ability to say a hundred noes for the sake of one overwhelming and fulfilling yes."
Yes. I mean... no. I mean...
I am confronting the fact that when something is added to your plate, you need to say that naughty word... "no".... to something else. Like this very blog.
My noncommittal self wants to say "maybe", but I think it has to be a resounding "no" to posting for at least this first month as I see how all of the pieces fall into place.
There's a great chance that new inspiration to write will bloom out of my new reflections, but there's also a great chance that I will be required to write all of those on long, long research papers and projects, and I definitely don't want to copy & paste because those audiences and purposes differ quite greatly!
So I'm saying bye--for now--as I take on this program. Thank you all for supporting me in this journey and thank you for the reflections you've shared that have helped me to stop & think as well.
Here's to saying at least one "no" in support of one, resounding yes!
Kristy
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