Not too long ago, seven years ago to be exact, our diva was sitting alone at a desk under the cold florescent lighting that simulated the cold, brittle air just beyond the window she could glimpse through someone else’s office. Outside the sunlight grew dim toward the closing of the work day on a regular day at the end of January. Yes, the daylight was getting longer. However, it was that time of the year when one isn’t really sure that summer will ever come again.
The glowing face of her computer stared back at her and she wondered, “Is there more than this? Surely, there has to be more than this?” Quickly summoned to the present moment, her coworker snapped at her about something related to the color of pen she was using. Surely, there has to be more than this…
Daydreaming, our diva pondered quietly during her working hours what more there could possibly be. Could there be footlights? Could there be applause? Could there be the satisfaction of bringing listeners through an incredible, emotional journey? Could she travel? Could she meet exciting and interesting colleagues? Not like the people she currently listened to day in and out. Oh, they were interesting. Just not the kind of interesting that requires years of continuous stale-coffee-fueled conversation. Could there be a devoted, daily practice toward a goal larger than herself? There must be. There had to be.
As she finished her labels and data entry while musing on futures that had to be, she was struck with fear. “How can I possibly make it from here to there?” she whispered to herself while scrolling her Facebook newsfeed on a mind-numbing loop. Those dreams seem so far away. They seem hard to attain. They seem precarious in their very nature. They simply seem like dreams.
But, our diva devised a plan. She created a series of micro-actions that she could complete everyday. This scheme would help her know, deep within, that she was moving one step closer to the goals she wished for most in life. They had to be something that she could do in one day. They had to be something she could fit into her deceptively busy life. Could she complete it over lunch? Could she take care of one while riding the bus? Could she find a few moments before bed or during commercials to create one more link or one more stitch in the sail that would help her get from here to there? Then, it was in. These tasks became a list and that list became the plan. She would see her dreams come true and she wasn’t afraid of the long route.
That plan moved our diva along on a great and wonderful journey. There was constantly changing scenery as well as friends and enemies along the way. She didn’t always notice it as it was happening. She would feel forlorn. “This wasn’t the way it was supposed to work out…” she said to her tear-stained reflection in the mirror. “How can I possibly go on from here?” But, then, she also basked in the warm stage lights and remembered the former florescent lights and felt an internal glow.
The challenges required her to grow. It was necessary for her to push outside of her comfort zone and try something new. The challenges obligated her to think about the larger experience of her colleagues and her field. How can we all achieve these dreams? How can we all be the hero of our own journey? Let’s find out.
