viking fridays – you ain’t done lookin’ yet.
June 20, 2008
Hidden Runes shalt thou seek and interpreted signs,
many symbols of might and power,
by the great Singer painted, by the high Powers fashioned,
graved by the Utterer of gods.
- The Hávamál
What are our Viking friends looking for behind Door #1 today? They seem pretty determined to find it, whatever it is. And find it they will.
I can’t find the car keys.
I don’t know what to write for my next blog post.
I hate my job, but I don’t know what I’d rather do.
So easy to say these words, isn’t it?
So easy to give up.
From the comments in a kick ass blog post by James at Men With Pens, on How to Exceed Expectations, Michael Martine, the Remarkablogger, said:
One thing that bugs me to no end is when people say “I tried,” when what they’re really saying is they only put in a little effort and then gave up.
When I was in the Marines (yes, I really was, but was injured in basic and let go) I was told to find something in the barracks by one of the drill instructors. I looked for what seemed to me like a reasonable amount of time and reported back to him that I couldn’t find it.
He looked at me and said, real slowly, “Then I guess you ain’t done lookin’ yet, are you?”
I got the message, and that message has stayed with me ever since.
Next time you can’t find what you’re looking for, whether it be a physical object, a solution to a problem, an idea for a story, spiritual guidance, a new direction in life, whatever…
You ain’t done lookin’ yet.
Opportunity knocks. You just need to make sure you’re knocking on the right door. With a battering ram, if needed.
Don’t you dare stop lookin’, until you find it.
Or these guys will come and find you. And believe me, they ain’t here to play Parcheesi.
speaking of looking???????
here I am?????
what might I be looking for?
Wendi Kelly’s last blog post..The Addiction of Conforming
@Wendi,
LOL you’ll have to wait until tomorrow for that, Wendi
Actually, I may not be able to give my usual update tomorrow as we’re going here:
http://terracesuites.com/
and the only mention of internet they have there is a “data port”. Well, I didn’t buy the USB modem for my MacBook Pro, so I may be giving my update on Sunday evening…
BTW – your last post is *very, very* good.
-Brett
OOOH, I want to come!
OK….I’ll be patient. And thanks for trying to distract me with a compliment…it will work…for now….hehehe.You know I’ll be here Sunday night though
Have some great family time this weekend. I know it will be wonderful!
Wendi Kelly’s last blog post..The Addiction of Conforming
Brett;
To play Devils’ advocate…
Sometimes you can try, try, try till you’re blue in the face. And it just won’t happen…or mabye it’s not worth it. We cant’ always get what we want in life…that’s the way it is.
Sometimes it’s easier to go to the dealer to make a new set of car keys, rather than to beat yourself and keep looking.
Last summer, I started to hike up a moutain in New Hampshire. But half way up, I realized I bit off more than I could chew….and I was starting to feel stressed out.
Sure, I could have ignored that voice in my head that said “Quit, Friar”, and I knew I could have forced myself to reach top.
But I also knew I’d be totally exhausted, it woudlnt’ be fun, and I’d be a wreck the next day. So instead, I opted to hike 3/4 of the way up.
So was the hike a failure?
No…far from it!!
I stopped at a beautiful scenic lookout, I still got a great work-out, and the whole hike was much more relaxed and fun. I dont’ regret it one second.
Sooner or later you have to examine how much energy you’re spending to reach your goal, and see what you’re getting in return. Sometimes you need to change the game plan.
Friar’s last blog post..Inspirational Quotes that Made a Difference in my Life…
@Brett: this is something I always tell my hubby: you didn’t find your sock? Or the thing in the fridge? You must not have looked hard enough, or long enough, because — oh! — here it is. Don’t give up so soon…
I need to take this advice regarding other things, I’m sure. While I’m one of those persistent people who are bothered by not finding the answer that seems right, the right word, the perfect pair of jeans…I also give up quite easily when it comes to things that reflect my inadequacies. If I can’t do something and I’m looking for the way to fix it but it seems too hard, I get discouraged pretty fast. I like your message, though, and it comes at a good time: don’t stop looking. Once I stop, I also stop growing. And realizing my goals.
@ Friar: my gut instinct was to totally disagree with you. But when you raised the point about the thing you were doing not even being enjoyable anymore, I stopped short. Hmmm. It seems good justification. But then maybe is it possible that you didn’t really want to do it in the first place? I mean, really want it, not just think it would have been neat? I think anything worth it to you keeps you motivated. Marathoners are probably not enjoying the run by the time they hit the 22-mile mark. They’re dehydrated, sweaty, shaky, exhausted, blurry-eyed, maybe even (I’ve seen this) soiled. So done but they have four more miles til the finish line. You can find a way past that discomfort if you truly want to, because with something physical like that, at that point at which you just want to stop finding what you need, it’s not about what your body can do. Your body is done. But your brain CAN take you the rest of the way if you tell it to. I would much rather get past that discomfort and even endure the not enjoying it for the intense reward at the end of knowing I can do it, and I did. That’s a big deal. If we’re talking about looking for our true potential…well, my view on that is that it’s the meaning of life itself.
steph’s last blog post..Hope Floats
@Steph
I agree that we can accomplish a lot by trying hard. I really believe in the power of positive thought.
I’m not trying to be negative. Just that we also have to be realistic. We can acheive MOST of our dreams, but not necessarily ALL of them.
I would like to be a fighter jet pilot, or a professional hockey player. But no matter how much I try, no matter how persistent, it just wont’ happen. Time to accept it and move on….
But can I write a million best-seller book? Why not? .,.it’s not impossible! Other Joe-Average people like me have done it. So that’s something I CAN pursue…
As for Marathoners….why in God’s Holy Name would anyone want to run till they crap their pants…(???) I dont’ get it. I just dont’ get it.
I prefer running shorter distances and maintaining bowel control (but that’s just me…!)
I feel honored to be someone else’s inspiration. I don’t have anything to add, other than I really love the picture!
Michael Martine’s last blog post..Create a Business Out of Your Blog and Make Real Money
@Brett – Michael is right, you can’t give up. Anything worth anything is a lot of hard work.
That hotel looks very nice. You and Cathryn deserve a nice getaway. How romantic.
@Wendi – Yes, you’re post is very good. I like your stories.
@Steph – I’m wondering if we ever get past the discomfort. I don’t think we do. Oh well. That’s when your fellow humans come in to support you. Dogs are good too, but they can’t talk. But sometimes that’s good, too.
@Friar – I don’t run, I walk. I like to rollerblade, too. Positive thought is good. I have to remember that, because sometimes I get mired in depression. And that’s not good.
Ellen Wilson’s last blog post..We Want YOU!
@Wendi,
My car has 5 seats, so you can hop in the back if you like
report will come Sunday, and I think you’ll enjoy it.
@Friar,
Being devil’s advocate is a good thing. I think, from looking at what Steph wrote below, and your response, that you caught an important nuance of this.
You’re right, sometimes you can try and try and try, and it won’t happen, or maybe it’s not worth it.
But maybe, just maybe, that wasn’t what you were really looking for anyway.
You and I try and try and try to fit in as engineers in this company, but it won’t happen, and it’s not worth it.
We ain’t done lookin’ yet, because we ain’t been lookin’ for the right thing, in the right place.
Looking for the wrong thing is okay, too – we always learn something.
@Steph,
That’s just it – we have to keep looking, somehow, even if that means changing what we’re looking for, until we find it. I could easily accept what I’m doing and just fall into a mundane career existance. But then I couldn’t live with myself, no matter how good everything else is for me. Some folks can do this. I refuse, and that’s just me.
@Friar again,
True – there are some things perhaps that we might not be able to do – like be a fighter pilot. Certainly as a 38-year guy with glasses it would be very unlikely. Then again, maybe that wasn’t what I was looking for in the first place – because if it had been, I could have had corrective eye surgery done 10 years ago and enlisted…
@Michael,
Well – thank you for it, my friend. And I’m glad you liked the picture – Friar’s work kicks ass as always.
@Ellen,
Thank you – it is a great place and I’ll take some pictures of the scenery to show everyone. The sunsets are priceless there.
@All,
Thanks again. Keep lookin’, you ain’t done yet.
Stay foolish. Stay hungry.
(Kudos to “The Steve” for that last one.)
Lovely post, Brett!
You mentioned your Macbook Pro in a comment here and I have a question: is there a way to get a Macbook Pro with a Geforce 8800 instead of the 8600? I shopped on the Apple website and it seems as though I can’t, but I would REALLY like an 8800…..
RLD: Taekwondo Happiness’s last blog post..The dream meme
@RLD,
Thank you very much – I’m glad you liked it.
I do not know if there is any way to get that as an option. I didn’t see it myself when I ordered it. Possibly if you could get your hands on the notebook version of the 8800, and you were adventurous, you could do the swap yourself. I know that you can remove them.
I will say this, it is extremely fast already. I’ve done some gaming using Vmware Fusion and XP, and Quake 4 was quite playable (can’t remember the frame rate…)
Brett and Friar
I think it comes back down to that PASSION word again.If you want it bad enough and if its YOUR goal and YOUR big life’s mission you are going to be more apt to say…”Come HEll or HIGH water I’m going up that Hill.” If it;s not that important to you, then it’s “HELL no I WON’T GO!” And no amount of outside motivation is going to get the job done.
Wendi Kelly’s last blog post..The Addiction of Conforming
@Wendi,
Exactly. Passion.
Can and will – and belief. Being an astronaut wasn’t my life’s mission. Being a writer is.
Argh…this is all too deep and meaningful for me on a Friday afternoon. (My BRAIN hurts!)
I need to drink beer. Or go fishing. Or both.
@Friar,
Not at all – a simple translation yields the following:
“Did you catch a fish yet?”
“Nope.”
“Then I guess you ain’t done fishin’ yet, are you?”
Friar, you are my favorite contrarian. It’s not just that, though, it’s realism, and I appreciate that so much.
Blogoland (as Ellen called it) is wonderfully supportive, which can be quite a contrast from real life. Sometimes (don’t all shoot at once) I think maybe a bit too much so. There is a place in the middle where positive thought, planning, “actionable” ideas, and concrete steps exist, but before you get all the way to rah-rah…
Too much seeking runes and symbols worries my conservative Capricorn brain.
I have to go find something to duck behind, because I know what’s next.
Having said that,
Brett,
What I loved about MM’s comment yesterday (once I heard you rave and went to ponder it again), was that it isn’t rah-rah and it IS actionable. It’s butt-kicking and it’s don’t-give-up, but it isn’t “don’t give up hope” (too flowery for Marines I’ve known), it’s don’t effing stop your work until you’ve succeeded!
The difference between group hugs and butt-kicking is I guess what worries me. I don’t know if that makes sense. I suspect I’m not expressing it well.
I’m going with Friar to get a drink now. Long day, long week. Friar, can I interest you in a nice chardonnay? (She says, knowing the answer is “no.”)
Until later, I’m looking for cover…
Kelly
Kelly’s last blog post..Free Slippery Advice, Today Only
…and this is why I come here. Holy crap, what excellent conversation. I couldn’t comment because I was too busy listening and loving what everyone else was saying.
I think passion is it, as Wendi said. Defines whether or not you’ll succeed. If hockey or being an air pilot is not your passion, you’ll have no problem letting it go.
Brett: loved the summary. PERFECT! What remains to be seen, I guess, is whether or not he’s passionate about catching that fish!
Friar: Bottom’s up, my man! Happy Friday.
steph’s last blog post..Hazelnut Vanilla-Flavoured Marketing
@Brett
When it’s too dark to tie a knot with my fishing line, and the fishies have gone Beddy-Bye and no one is biting..THAT’s when I’m done fishing
(Short of using explosives, that is!)
I hear dry ice in a 2-liter pop bottle works well (Never tried it though).
@Kelly
Yessss! My favorite Capricorn! I SO TOTALLY agree with you. I know exactly where you’re coming from.
I’m a pretty big guy…Here…come hide behind me while peole take their pot-shots… And I’ll take that glass of Chardonnay anyway…:-)
Friar’s last blog post..Inspirational Quotes that Made a Difference in my Life…
Friar,
Santé. A virtual glass on its way to you.
Good with fish, I hear. (This goat doesn’t eat fish, so I wouldn’t know.)
Until later,
Kelly
Kelly’s last blog post..Free Slippery Advice, Today Only
Late to the party , so I will just you and Cathryn a lovely time at the Terraces. Don’t stop til you find bliss.
)))
I’ll take some of that Chardonney if there is any left.
Janice Cartier’s last blog post..Artist As Personal Trainer
My kilted wonder friend, I have no words other than “thank you.”
Karen Swim’s last blog post..Are you a commitment phobe?
@Kelly,
I don’t think you have to duck behind anything or anyone (even Friar), at least I hope that no one wants to sling anything at you. From reading the comments that followed I think you survived
Your point came through okay, I think, and was as valid as any other. I think it’s a matter of perspective and intent, to me anyway.
(I’ll explain in a bit…)
@steph,
I agree – I went away for a couple of days and what a great dialogue to read.
@Janice,
Our trip was wonderful – thank you! And… we forgot the camera, so no nice photos of last night’s sunset
@Karen,
You are welcome, Wonder Woman.
@All,
Thanks again – I had a good re-read of all of this, and it gave me some food for thought for more writing.
That, and a short piece I saw on the news tonight.
Stay tuned…
HI Brett, Hope you hade a great weekend away and arer enjoying your Sunday evening.
Wendi Kelly’s last blog post..The Perfect Day
Hi Wendi,
We certainly did! It was a nice change to be completely unplugged.
(I was saving the word count for the post I’m working on right now, but just for you
I wrote 5481 words this week… I think that the quiet helped. It was actually a mix of writing, as I have two other projects to keep me busy when I’m not writing the biography.)
I also hope that you are having a good evening – I’ll stop by your place to say hello soon (good post Wendi!)
See, there’s a reason I don’t belong in the military. I get tired/bored/distracted easily. Send me on a goose chase to find the needle in the haystack, and I’m like “WOO HOO!! Shiny object!!” for about two minutes, then I’m off in the corner weaving a basket out of hay going “Needle? Who needs a needle? I can learn to sew without a needle. You just watch me.”
My point (I have one, really), is that sometimes we go on these big looking-for-something quests and we never do find that thing we think we’re looking for. We seek. We spend our lives seeking if we let ourselves. It’s a pointless quest. If we let it be. But what if I was meant to be a hay-basket-weaver? So maybe I did find SOMETHING. Just not the needle — not the thing I THOUGHT I was supposed to be looking for. That’s still something… right?
Kiss the blondies friend.
Amy’s last blog post..Glass or Ruby: If The Slipper Fits…
Amy,
Consider the blondies kissed
I think you got the message behind the message here – you did find something. Perhaps if you weren’t happy doing what you were doing, you just had to keep looking – somewhere else. Basket weaving is a noble calling, after all
My point is to not give up and be unhappy. If you’re happy doing what you are doing, no need to keep searching!