Nothing Will Ever Change
"They say that time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.
- Andy Warhol
Over the past few days I have been thinking about how busy things have been at work, and looking forward to the day when the "storm" breaks. A thought from a few nights ago came back to me and I realized that none of this will ever change. Things will always be busy. There will never be a break from Life. Life just keeps coming at you. And that is not a bad thing. It's just how things are. This isn't something that I need to accept; it's something that needs to be embraced. This observation reminds me of a story from the lore of triathlon.
In 1989, Dave Scott was the most dominant athlete in the sport of triathlon. Perpetually nipping at his heels was Mark Allen. In training for the 1989 Ironman Championship, Mark realized that nothing about the race was going to change. The heat, wind, and his greatest competitor--Dave Scott--weren't going to change. The only way that he was going to win the race was to look within himself and make some deep seeded changes.
So he spent a whole year working on his "insides" and much as his physical stamina. He ran in the hottest days, rode in the heaviest winds, but he also trained less. He studied meditation, and simplified his life to focus on one thing: winning the Ironman. Guess what happened?
With two miles to go in the marathon, Mark Allen and Dave Scott are neck-in-neck. As they begin the final uphill in the race, Mark Allen pulls away. Dave Scott just doesn't have it. After Allen crosses the finish line, he breaks down into tears.
For most of us, it doesn't make sense to have just ONE thing in our life which consumes us. This is a fantastic way to live a dysfunctional life, or burn-out. However, I do think that is important to recognise that nothing will ever be perfect. Optimal conditions rarely happen. But in the face of this, I think that by looking inside and seeing what internal changes need to be made, the world that surrounds us begins to change.
So what changes do I need to make? Well, here goes:
- Andy Warhol
Over the past few days I have been thinking about how busy things have been at work, and looking forward to the day when the "storm" breaks. A thought from a few nights ago came back to me and I realized that none of this will ever change. Things will always be busy. There will never be a break from Life. Life just keeps coming at you. And that is not a bad thing. It's just how things are. This isn't something that I need to accept; it's something that needs to be embraced. This observation reminds me of a story from the lore of triathlon.
In 1989, Dave Scott was the most dominant athlete in the sport of triathlon. Perpetually nipping at his heels was Mark Allen. In training for the 1989 Ironman Championship, Mark realized that nothing about the race was going to change. The heat, wind, and his greatest competitor--Dave Scott--weren't going to change. The only way that he was going to win the race was to look within himself and make some deep seeded changes.
So he spent a whole year working on his "insides" and much as his physical stamina. He ran in the hottest days, rode in the heaviest winds, but he also trained less. He studied meditation, and simplified his life to focus on one thing: winning the Ironman. Guess what happened?
With two miles to go in the marathon, Mark Allen and Dave Scott are neck-in-neck. As they begin the final uphill in the race, Mark Allen pulls away. Dave Scott just doesn't have it. After Allen crosses the finish line, he breaks down into tears.
For most of us, it doesn't make sense to have just ONE thing in our life which consumes us. This is a fantastic way to live a dysfunctional life, or burn-out. However, I do think that is important to recognise that nothing will ever be perfect. Optimal conditions rarely happen. But in the face of this, I think that by looking inside and seeing what internal changes need to be made, the world that surrounds us begins to change.
So what changes do I need to make? Well, here goes:
- Study for the CPA exam each day. I don't need to kill myself studying 3 or 4 hours after a full work day, but I can study for an hour each day.
- I don't need to hit the gym every single day.
- I can't do everything. I need to be more mindful of what I spend my time doing.
- Sleep is important. Without it, I am going to be a miserable person.
So, that's what I am thinking about. Time to go home and do some CPA study....
Namaste
posted by Zen_Accountant at 6:18 PM
1 Comments:
Let's see . . . you're busy at work and you like your job. You're preparing for your cpa exam.
You want to stay healthy and fit.
You'd also like to have a social life. You have many goals that appeal to you.
Of course that makes for a busy life. And that will probably never
change for you. Somedays that feels good and somedays it seems overwhelming. When in doubt, I strongly recommend antideprerssants!
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