“The tragedy of life doesn’t lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach. It isn’t a calamity to die with dreams unfilled, but it is a calamity not to dream. It is not disgrace to reach the stars, but it is a disgrace to have no stars to reach for. Not failure, but low aim, is a sin.” (Benjamin Mays – 1894-1984)
I wasted a day yesterday and for the first time I can remember, I was, I am aware indeed that it was a wasted day.
Yes, I did accomplish some tasks, but with no purpose or goal in mind other than doing whatever came next. I suppose I could say that going to the gym for exercise was part of my long term goal of staying fit, but that would be a real stretch of the truth. I could say that by meditating I was calming my spirit and my mind so that I might be open to new insights – again a great distortion of my true motivation for yesterday’s mindless activity. That I stuck to a self-imposed diet might sound virtuous, but in truth, it was easier to deal with pre-packaged, pre-weighed fodder than to take the time to put together a healthy salad.
Yesterday was a wasted day because it had no purpose other than killing the time from when I arose to the time I returned to bed. There was no grand goal, no intentional plan, no direction or check off list. I was not reaching for any stars in the sky. I just went through the motions of being alive. I did not hope, I did not dream, I did not wonder or seek to be inspired.
I can’t recall anything about the day other than it was cold and wet. Not true, it was gray and overcast too. Maybe that’s where my lost day actually began – lousy weather and bone-chilling cold. That and the news.
I am certain now, after thinking back on yesterday, that my wasted day was the result of a combination of lousy weather and even more lousy news.
World news, national news, local news, news about the past in which I dwelt, it was all bad news. Lousy news conspired against me and caused me to temporarily loose my way. Lousy news stole a day from me.
I am exhausted by the cruelty, the pain, war, famine, infant death, inequality, starvation, terrorism, random gun violence, hatred and inhumanity that passes for life these days. I am even more tired of our politicians spreading disinformation all the while governing by innuendo and subterfuge. There is no honor left in the political process, no valiant effort to return to the framework of our country’s values. There is no reaching for the stars, there is no dreaming, there are no lofty goals.
But my blog’s premise is the power and promise of hope – that every life should have a noble purpose. So I return to the quote from Reverend Mays:
“The tragedy of life doesn’t lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach.”
Rev. Mays, among other things, was involved in the civil rights movement in the 60’s. More than most folks, he had good reason to be discouraged, to have a bad day or two. Yet Rev. Mays’ answer was to persevere, to overcome, to press on. He did not retreat or give in. His goal served to put his struggles into some sort of context. To me, that’s the great antidote in life – context.
One bad day, one wasted day, is a helpful reminder that so many other days are not so bad when seen in context.
Today, twenty four hours removed from yesterday’s meltdown, the sun is shining, folks are out walking in the neighborhood, stopping to talk and share good news. Today is warm and inviting. A father and his young daughter just passed by my window – she still learning how to ride her bicycle; he being the ever patient, affirming and encouraging dad guiding his precious child to accomplishing their goal. That’s context.
So today, besides writing this post and working on my first book, I am going to take this context, this day, and reaffirm my goals, my purpose, and my willingness to trust in the power and promise of hope, to re-affirm my belief that every life should have a noble purpose. I pray that I can be as strong and determined as Rev. Mays. When one day seems to have been wasted, I vow that my goal will be to live a life in which I never surrender to another day that attempts to interrupt my hope in the future.
I have decided to live in hope. It was just a bad day yesterday – not the end of the world. There is much to do.
Have a great day.
Very good. I found the content to be helpful and to make me think and I like the format in which it is written. Great post, Jon.
Thank you. I am gratified by the response to this post. I am glad it is affecting folks. I appreciate your feedback.
Your post was a reminder of how easy it is to slip into the hopeless when we see little positive before us. Those of us who know there is more than what we see, we can dig deep into truths we know and hold onto them when what we see brings us down. I enjoyed your post.
Anne, thank you for your thoughtful comment. Digging deep is sometimes necessary. That is where the value of “virtues” becomes so
important.
I don’t think YOUR presence is ever a wasted space. Maybe you didn’t accomplish a tangible, forward-moving, societal event, but YOU are a positive spirit. Your mindful energy matters. I honestly believe that.
Thank you for your kind affirmation. I wrote this post in recognition that everyone has a bad day from time to time. The wonderful thing about having a foundation of inner strength that supports one when bad days occur is that we can always have a way to move forward in hope. For me this is the power and promise of hope. I have found my foundation in faith and the virtue of hope. I am aware that others find their inner support from other sources and resources. This post was just a reminder for folks to access their inner strength in tough times, no matter the source of that strength. While my faith is my answer, an answer I will gladly share, I am also full of joy to hear of the alternatives others find. Once again, many thanks for the continuing dialogue.