Directions
It is a typical pattern of life, but sometimes difficult to recognize it for what it is, that you have to go backwards to go forward. This happens to me all the time as I travel for work. I frequently fly two time zones in the wrong direction, in order to catch a flight going in the desired direction. Many times we have to travel North in order to reach the highway that will most efficiently take us South.
It happens in language acquisition. When you begin to study a new language, you have to set aside a lifetime of skills and accomplishments in order to learn the very basics. Even the dogs understand more than you when you begin! It doesn't matter if you have a doctorate or not, in the new language you are several stages below the animals. It is the only path forward. And it will continue to appear to be going in the wrong direction for a long while. As one language teacher described it to me, you speak wrong! You continue to speak wrong. And less wrong. And then less wrongly. And then less wrong, and finally, more right. You only get there close to the end, and the entire trip felt like you were going the wrong direction.
It happens in finances and investments. I recently purchased some investment properties. I spent the entire first month of ownership going the wrong way (spending money instead of making money) in order to arrest and reverse several directions the property was heading. Yet it was still the shortest route to where I needed and wanted to go. It happens in relationships, our spiritual journeys, and in our careers.
Don't get frustrated when you have to go the wrong direction to get to the right directions. Where you are going matters. Patience and tenacity achieve remarkable results even when it feels like you are going the wrong direction.
It is a typical pattern of life, but sometimes difficult to recognize it for what it is, that you have to go backwards to go forward. This happens to me all the time as I travel for work. I frequently fly two time zones in the wrong direction, in order to catch a flight going in the desired direction. Many times we have to travel North in order to reach the highway that will most efficiently take us South.
It happens in language acquisition. When you begin to study a new language, you have to set aside a lifetime of skills and accomplishments in order to learn the very basics. Even the dogs understand more than you when you begin! It doesn't matter if you have a doctorate or not, in the new language you are several stages below the animals. It is the only path forward. And it will continue to appear to be going in the wrong direction for a long while. As one language teacher described it to me, you speak wrong! You continue to speak wrong. And less wrong. And then less wrongly. And then less wrong, and finally, more right. You only get there close to the end, and the entire trip felt like you were going the wrong direction.
It happens in finances and investments. I recently purchased some investment properties. I spent the entire first month of ownership going the wrong way (spending money instead of making money) in order to arrest and reverse several directions the property was heading. Yet it was still the shortest route to where I needed and wanted to go. It happens in relationships, our spiritual journeys, and in our careers.
Don't get frustrated when you have to go the wrong direction to get to the right directions. Where you are going matters. Patience and tenacity achieve remarkable results even when it feels like you are going the wrong direction.
