The Color of Striving

“We must always strive to reflect the highest vision of ourselves.” 

(Bryant McGill, Simple Reminders: Inspiration for Living Your Best Life)

Have you ever striven after something? Have you ever put all of your effort, every fiber of your being, towards a particular goal? The dictionary defines "strive" as, "to devote serious effort or energy; to make great efforts to achieve or obtain; to struggle vigorously." I am in a time of striving, of bending my will towards the fulfillment of a goal. I have a clear picture in my mind of what my goal is; I see some of the path that I must tread to reach this goal. Simply knowing the goal and seeing the path, though, is only one piece of achieving. Fulfillment comes only through the effort of striving.

“Life always begins

with one step outside of your comfort zone.” 

(Shannon L. Alder)

I am not particularly gifted at striving; I am easily distracted; many inner voices seek to discourage me; I often doubt my purpose and goal. Still, if striving were easy it would not take "serious effort and energy" to engage. So every day I put my feet to the path, my hands to the keyboard, my heart to the dream... and I strive.

“You will face your greatest opposition

when you are closest to your biggest miracle.” 

(Shannon L. Alder)

I am perhaps judged because I do not move ahead with the efficiency or speed with which others might. Maybe past failures suggest that I will not accomplish that to which I set my sights. Well, as the sage once said, "other people's opinions of me are none of my business!" So I continue, in my own way, in the face of my inner demons and guaranteed uncertainties, and I strive.

I am convinced that our heart's desire, our dreams and hopes - these are the Spirit's whisperings to us. These are the places where our gifts, our wisdom, our passions will find expression for the healing of our world. The Divine reaches through us to touch the world through our heart's desire, and the true depth of joy is known in the unfolding of that for which we truly strive.

The apostle Paul described it clearly in his writing to the Hebrews: 

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us"

(Hebrews 12.1)

For what do you strive? Is there something to which you devote serious energy and effort to achieve? Perhaps we are not fully alive until we have ignited our passion for life, until we have set our dreams on fire, until our heart pounds with the gargantuan effort necessary to see Love flowing through us. 

“I was taught to strive

not because there were any guarantees of success

but because the act of striving is in itself

the only way to keep faith with life.”
(Madeleine Albright, Madam Secretary: A Memoir)

If you have a dream, a goal, a hope - I encourage you to go after it with all your might; not obsessively, but with perseverance and determination. With all that you are... strive. In so doing you remake our world, you mentor, you inspire, you lead, you heal.

I leave the last word to LDS church leader, Gordon Hinckley:

“Do your best,

and be a little better than you are.”

The color of striving...

surrendering to the path.

A plant clipping

sends

roots

into the soil

unseen

they strive

grow

become

above the soil

leaves

are slow to grow

till

the roots

have filled

the pot

and then...

a flower blooms

Strive

pray

breathe

To Ponder Further:

- From the Bible: "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." (Philippians 4.8)

- from Baha'i: "Only when the lamp of search, of earnest striving, of longing desire, of passionate devotion, of fervid love, of rapture, and ecstasy, is kindled within the seeker’s heart, and the breeze of His loving-kindness is wafted upon his soul, will the darkness of error be dispelled, the mists of doubts and misgivings be dissipated, and the lights of knowledge and certitude envelop his being." (The Kitáb-i-Íqán")

- From Buddhism:"A novice asked the Buddha, "What is goodness and what is greatness?" The Buddha replied, "To follow the Way and hold to what is true is good. When the will is in conformity with the Way, that is greatness." (Sutra of Forty-two Sections 15)