The Space Between

A few years ago, I read a book titled, ‘the mountain between us’ by Charles Martin and I had to get to the very last pages to understand where the title came from. This was before the movie of the same title was made.

As I thought of what to write today, that story came right back reminding me that there is always a space between where we are today and where we want to get to. Our perception of that space can make us see it as a mountain, valley, challenge or opportunity and consequently our response can either be negative or positive.

The thought of that space can either excite and ignite us or paralyse us with fear causing people to go after opportunities or give up before even trying.

My father’s generation had a job for life mostly staying in the same corporation, business or field. My generation ventured out a bit more leaving the countries we called home and often criss-crossing between different fields. My sons’ generation would take risks like taking a year or two off to go travelling or changing jobs after just a few months because it wasn’t what they expected or it didn’t make them happy.

With each generation, we are seeing a different response to the spaces between their starting and end positions. The older generation wonders at the bravado of the younger ones and sometimes erroneously conclude they are unserious simply because they choose to take more risks instead of decisions that lead to a home with a picket fence on the back of a steady paying job.

Sadly the reality of the world we live in today is there aren’t many guaranteed jobs for life which means we must be mentally and emotionally ready to pivot and change careers, companies, business and be willing to constantly respond to the changing demands of a world that keeps on moving.

I love the quote from Tracee Ellis Ross where she said, “I am learning everyday to allow the space between where I am and where I want to be to inspire me and not terrify me‘. For many of us, if we allowed ourselves to dare to truly dream of what could be possible, it would definitely terrify us.

Recently on a walk, I looked around me and imagined the planes, trains and cars, the engineering feats within the technologies around us and I marvelled that all of that came from human beings and it made me wonder again at the beauty of creation, the Creator and what else could be possible to each one of us.

I remembered a saying that I grew up with which is, ‘no one has two heads’ which was a Nigerian parent’s way of reminding their children that anything was possible to them if they wanted and worked for it.

We are all uniquely talented and gifted with the propensity for breath-taking ideas, accomplishments, innovations and creativity. We don’t have the same talents and gifts but each of us has the ability to leverage theirs to the highest possible level. When I think of the human body’s ability to repair itself, fight infections and function at peak levels, I am astounded.

Every once in a while, I always make sure to focus on what once seemed impossible because it’s a reminder of what is still possible to mankind and to each of us.

What idea is fleeting through your mind right now? If you don’t grab it, you will in a year or two see it implemented by someone else and a part of you will want to claim it as yours and even feel disappointed or cheated of the idea.

The reality is that each idea that comes to you is an idea for humanity and it is offered to thousands or millions of people at any point in time waiting for who will say yes.

Each idea is discarded by a large proportion of people, overlooked by others, ignored by some; some ideas will be abandoned half way while others will be too terrified to even explore the idea instead looking for all the reasons why they might fail.

Only the few that grab the ideas and refuse to be intimidated by their grandiosity and potential challenges succeed. Can you embrace the chaos and challenges to expose the beauty that lies within projects that look like old ruins?

The choice is yours; you will never be lacking in creativity, ideas and innovative thoughts. Creation has done and continues to do its part; I hope you will do yours and embrace the spaces between your today and the future making the impossible a reality for you and future generations.

Thanks for reading my post; have a great week and remember to give attention to those fleeting ideas.