The Caravan Moves Along

Paradox, Humor & Change in a single shot

The research, at some point, must end. In order for the actual creation, the path forward, to begin. There is a natural connection between the two as all artists, athletes or writers understand. A football player of sufficient capacity to actively seek challenge, works his tight-end off in order to improve his skills to the point of testing them against the best competition available. This research, our practice and the subsequent testing in real-time live action is the juice. It is the point. Practice, prepare, research, study, grow and test.

Dan Millman in his seminal series, The Peaceful Warrior, had his alter ego protagonist, Socrates suggest to his student that while artists must be concerned with design, color and texture, while writers (or their editors)  must know grammar, punctuation and syntax, and while doctors must be well-versed in anatomy, auto immune systems and disease prevention, the peaceful warrior, the truly enlightened human-in-training, must be aware of them all. “You practice gymnastics, I practice everything,” he once reminded young Danny.

Once the gymnast, painter or smash-hit songwriter has paid sufficient homage to the basics, absorbed the inspiration of masters who have gone before and rehearsed the skills required until fingers bleed, eyes redden and muscles ache, she is ready to create. And create she must!

It is time to take the leap. Jump into the fire. Dare to create something new instead of rehashing the old, stale and obsolete. It is time, quoting Socrates again, to stop gathering information from the outside and start compiling it from the inside.

Have the courage to get it out and get it down. Let go of the limitations you place on yourself, the self-doubts, fears of failure or an obtuse warning from a society who finds it easier to criticize than to support. Invoke the swoosh and Just Do It.

That sacred journey, the one with the catchy cliche of its intimidating distance of a thousand miles starting with the first step, is, in my opinion, incomplete. I say this because it has been my experience that the journey, and especially that precious initial step in its direction, actually starts with a series of stumbles. The journey of a thousand miles begins with falling down, miserably failing, repairing broken noses, arms and hearts and having the fortitude to rise up and carry on, this time with the prerequisite of the wisdom born of empirical defeat. Losing hurts, I agree, but as the nomads say, ‘dogs bark but the caravan moves along.’  Learn the lessons of defeat.

Practice, practice practice. Practice everything.

And then go out and play the game.