The Lever, the Fulcrum, and the Boulder
#3PiecesOfWisdom 06 October 2020:
It’s simple—if it’s the right thing, do it. If it’s the wrong thing, don’t do it.
We tend to make things more complicated than they need to be.
In the moment when you feel lost, trust your own wisdom.
THE LEVER, THE FULCRUM, AND THE BOULDER
I used to wake up in funks that ran all day. I’d be grumpy and irritable, or I’d be sullen and silent. Or I’d range between those kind states all day. I’ve only recently started shaking that sort of thing off.
It’s not easy. Waking up in a funk is kind of like a boulder coming to rest in a stream. It’s big and heavy, and it fell in there by default. Getting it out again takes so much effort, it doesn’t feel worth it. You figure you’ve just got a boulder now, and your stream is blocked.
The thing is, you need that stream to flow freely. You can’t just leave that big rock in it. You depend on that water. So, you gotta move this thing.
You could call for help. No shame in that. But you might be able to move the boulder yourself, with some effort. Find a lever and a fulcrum, and you could be in business. Pry that boulder out and let your stream flow freely.
For me, my lever is things like writing and doing creative work, taking walks in nature, reading and watching inspirational things, listening to good music. Almost anything can be a lever, actually. But the fulcrum...
The fulcrum has to be your wisdom and all you’ve learned. Your philosophy in life. Your chosen perspective. You have to have a solid, strong fulcrum. You need to have something you can trust. My fulcrum is God and wisdom. Your mileage may vary. But there’s one last thing...
A lever and fulcrum can move the world, under the right conditions, but you still have to be willing to use them. You have to decide, and act on that decision. You have to make the effort.
It has to be you who takes charge and chooses, who decides that boulder has got to go.
Kevin Tumlinson is a bestselling and award-winning author. He is currently traveling the United States with his wife, Kara, and their little dog, Mini, experiencing #VanLife as Kevin writes and publishes from the road. Follow the adventure at AuthorOnTheRoad.com.