All I remember is "T.G.I.F." It was a Friday, and as we were winding down the clock, we conversed about what the weekend might hold. It was banter and laughter with my new friends, and as is usually the case with these things, the subject of girls got in the mix. Yet this time it wasn’t your typical locker room talk. It felt a little bit more nuanced, a little bit closer to home. It became a passionate rant by a friend about his new love interest and her ways that kept everything in flux. From finding common ground in being comfortable indoors to a shared love of anime, they seemed to click. There were no signs of rigmarole standing in the way of a fruitful relationship. It seemed as if his intention to take a break from dating was becoming impossible to stick to.
However, the situation on the ground wasn't playing out like the simple love story you’d think this was. He occasionally felt left outside in the cold, sidelined, frustrated by delayed text replies and a reluctance to commit to spending time together. In retrospect, he still valued his measured approach, was confident in his genuine intentions, and didn't mind moving slowly. Which led to the question, "While you think you are taking your precious time, are you being effective or simply being slow?"
The concept of being yourself is quite layered. It happens to be imbued with agathokakological elements. Keep your mindset from being completely competitive, but acknowledge the trifling number of adversities that can influence an outcome. It's deliberate that I quantify adversities in the metric of a trifle because obstacles are usually measured by how knowledgeable your perception is about things. The fundamental game changer is how you address who you think you are. The next man is not always the case and the pace. Even if it were true, remember that while the assumption is doing it right, you could be moving slowly.
"Slow" is equally egregious. A bigger-picture approach doesn't always precede something big. Avoidance of cringe should be driven by an inherent dislike for it and not the pursuit of external validation. What people like can always be fickle, and the window of time can be nebulous. Having established this, win and lose on your terms. Do right by yourself and be devoted to improving every day. The formula is in between, but life is inherently chaotic, as Robert Greene would echo. Our victories mean nothing sans the luck we get befalling us occasionally, yet a rendezvous with destiny is disguised in preparation and seizing the opportune moment (Kairos).
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