As an artist, there are those moments that you find yourself in the zone-an easy flow of inspiration which when tapped, leads to stuff that are basically out of this world. The same applies to writers, managers, students, employees, moms and dads and people of all walks of niches (if there is such an expression that is). Then of course there are those moments when you hit an all-time low like Mariah Carey who forgot the lyrics of her own songs at some point in time while performing...or Fernando Torres, a thorough athlete and goal poacher who tormented many soccer teams with his skill and speed. He's now suffering the Arrrgh! Moment.
Whoever you are, I guarantee you that you have not perfect, and that your progress up until now has not been one beautiful straight line. "I hate graphs!!!", Intimated one long lost friend of mine named Kaim some years back. Her main goal was to totally and effectively eliminate the arrrgh! moments in regard to her relationship with God.
I have come to realize that the greatest fear of human beings are those arrrgh! moments-a moment when you are not at your best, with its uncanny way of showing up when 'seemingly' everyone is watching. Those moments vary from one individual to another. For example, it is an arrrgh! moment when you have not paid your rent as you ought to and you can't help it. It is an arrrgh! moment when your once sizzling hot relationship is as stale as overnight manna.
Here is the thing though. Right about then, when the arrrgh! moment swaggers into your life, the most important thing to do is to be involved in the 'game' of life anyway. By nature, we all seek the normal. I have learnt that if I take a back seat and wait for the plateau to swagger past me and usher in the 'normal', I will inevitably be left behind. Sample this...the inflation rate is higher this year than it was last year...
The truth of the matter is that we will all and continuously go through a plateau in our lives, businesses, relationships and all. It is prudent to be forewarned and know this fact beforehand. It is more prudent actually to go out there anyway and 'just do it', even in the uncomfortable and uninspiring conditions. I have also crucially learnt that as we go on despite the arrrgh! moment, sometimes that plateau becomes our 'new normal'.
The plan is to stay in the game. Fernando Torres cannot score when he is on the bench. Unfortunately that is what professional sports does. Anyone who is no longer in the zone...he is left on the bench and cant play. In this day and age of fast paced technological advances, you cannot afford to sit on the bench...even if it is your own bench for that matter. You gotta be in the game, like Billy Cox likes saying.
Listen! You are the sum total of all the 'new normals' that you ever experienced in life. You are better off if you have learnt to anticipate, acknowledge and deal with the arrrgh! moments by staying in the game. As for my friend Kaim, I am not sure it is that possible to totally eliminate graphs. Yet, the most interesting thing about eliminating graphs is doing something daily about them. There we go. You only get a straight line by either maintaining a foothold...or going one better.
Here is the thing. The greatest determinant of success is that thing called momentum. It is fueled by intervals of activity...whether in plateau or normal mode. Like we said earlier, the greater the interval of activity, the longer it takes to succeed. Therefore, it doesn't really matter whether you are in the flow or in the plateau, I had better be out there in the game building or maintaining momentum. It is widely known in the Personal Development Circles that the best thing that could ever happen to an individual (in retrospect that is) is the arrrgh! moment.
So, are you in a plateau...welcome to the real world, and be in the game.
Have a graphy day...won't you?
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