The simplest things can be the clearest, for me. I’m a pretty simple person who, when at low points, recognizes I can complicate life by not keeping it simple.
Lines: I’ve stood at many starting lines as I’ve looked ahead to crossing finish lines. Standing there ready to race everything is quantifiable; how far I have to go, the effort I plan to put forth, the goal time I am pursuing. There are variables but they are mostly known or can be expected within a definable range; cold or hot, windy or calm, sunny or cloudy. I feel I’ve gravitated to racing because of this simplicity and definability. Everyday there are new starting lines and lines that represent an end, many ambiguous, some pretty clear. My complications come in trying to define what is between that beginning and end in an effort to understand it on the way to aligning it with my expectations. There’s so much misunderstanding with that thought process that is easily cleaned up with a single line: everything is a starting line that’s followed by a finish line no matter how hard I try to prolong the gap in between. Everything that begins will end; this conversation, this work project, this relationship, this sunburn, this social media post. I say ‘this’ because it isn’t ‘a project’ or ‘a relationship’ because ‘this’ instance will come to an end and if I define it as ‘a project’ it becomes all projects. I will clearly define this beginning and recognize its end that comes thereafter - that’s simple.
Circle: life continually moves, new beginnings and new endings coming and going. People or things may be there for a specific purpose for a given period of time and then before I know it that period has ended. Maybe they or it comes back or maybe never to return. What moves forward is what I learned from that relationship or situation and how I apply it moving forward. Those bits and pieces collected along the way are recycled forward and integrated back in to the world through purpose and love. For me living and loving and giving completes the circle from accumulation of experiences and feelings to pollinating the world with what I’ve been fortunate enough to receive. It’s ongoing, constant and necessary for me to be authentically me. It’s a source of happiness to be on the receiving and giving end of living and loving, a line and circle are my reminders that in everything I do I have the ability to be present enough to see ‘this’ begin, engage and love in ‘this moment’, be humbled in recognition when ‘this’ ends in order to lovingly pass ‘this’ to someone else.
