Why does it seem that some of the best things for us are the hardest things to start, while other thoughts and plans that are not in our best interest seem to engulf us immediately? I, too, don’t quite know why…but perhaps we can explore this point a little further.

Every few months the United States sends a space shuttle into orbit to perform experiments and other tasks. A spacecraft that needs thousands of pounds of thrust to lift it through the atmosphere into space, spending anywhere from one to two weeks circling the globe while we go about our lives on planet Earth. Upon completion of its tasks, the shuttle re-enters the atmosphere, then glides home to, hopefully, a successful mission. Enormous amounts of power to get it into space, when all it needs is the air to glide it home.

Can the same be said for us? Why is it so easy to quit the things we want and need the most? Maybe because to be successful requires much thrust. When we undertake our own missions and goals, at first the amount of energy that is required to turn the wheels seems overwhelming. After a few days is it surprising that many of us throw our hands in the air and say “I’ve had enough!” Well, if the same amount of energy is needed day after day, eventually all of us would quit…but, as the wheels slowly turn they start to pick up speed, and before too long you start to feel like you’re riding an ocean wave that seems to be carrying you along for the ride. What easily can be forgotten is that you have created your own momentum. When we start the car in the morning, and head off down the road, our foot is firmly on the accelerator to get us up to speed….once we reach the desired pace our foot slowly inches off the accelerator and all that is needed is a light tap to stay at the correct level of speed.

Life always looks mysterious at first….but once we peel back the covers simplicity is revealed. The answer, in many cases, is right before our eyes as we look for the needle in the haystack. Life is simple…sometimes painfully simple.
So let’s ride the waves, but let’s not forget what is needed to get there. Belief, Strength, Power, Courage……Momentum. As the Beach Boys once said, “Catch a wave, and you’re sitting on top of the world”…..

Surf’s up….

Jennifer Avalon
© 1999 Jennifer Avalon