Strike up a conversation with a runner.

Or a photographer,
Business owner,
Or sailor.

There is a lot of dedication, crafting, and honing of their skillsets.

Ask them about their most recent
Marathon,
Photo,
Business startup,
Or favorite venture.

Their eyes widen,
There is an energetically uptick,
And they settle into share-mode.

Pulling you into their story,
They recount
The dedication,
Time,
Discipline,
Patience, and
Effort.

They pour over
The struggles and
Suffering,

They emote
The pain,
The hopelessness –

Lamenting
The falling apart,
The despair –

Where it all was going wrong.

They highlighting the paradoxical –
How they had one plan,
Yet the moment revealed a much different plot.

We are captivated by stumbling,
Pain, and
Failures along their journey –

Connecting to their story
Through that story,

Feeling more alive and hopeful,
In many ways,
For our own story.

Yet,

When we pour into our own
Race,
Art,
Startup,
Or journey,

We long for it all to go perfect.

And we fear the mishaps,
Failures and follies.

We desire for it to all
Go smoothly as planned.

And somehow

The very things we fear for ourselves
Enliven and enrich
Those very stories of others,
And actually inspire and connect us
To that deeper joy we are longing for.

The joy is somehow
Dependent upon
The struggle, pain, and moments of hopelessness.

We think we want one,
When life unfolds in the other.

© Dr Adam Fujita 2023