Wednesday, August 4, 2010

I Stepped in Poop!

I've been thinking. In this day and age where people groups of all varieties are divided in many ways, there is one aspect in life in which human beings throughout the world are united...no one likes to step in poop.

It's true. Everyone I know hates stepping in poop. And, most people, with the possible exception of farmers/ranchers, go to great lengths to avoid stepping in poop.

Poop is viewed as...well, poop! There's no other description necessary. The only useful purpose I'm aware of for poop is for fertilizing soil, which does not include my backyard. Unfortunately, that's where Gibson, our Silky Terrier, does his "fertilizing".

Yesterday, I was mowing the grass in 100 degree temperatures. I know it was hot, but I had a goal to do some long overdue yard work. I'm in fairly good shape, so I figured I was up for the challenge as long as I stayed hydrated.

My goal was to mow the front, then the back yard, and finish trimming both. I wasn't going to let any obstacles keep me from achieving my goal, including the temperature. This was the day. No more putting it off. I was motivated, and focused.

After finishing the front yard, I proceeded to the back yard. Mowing the yard in rows, I noticed the "fertilizer" left by Gibson before I reached that "row". However, I was pretty hot and tired at this point. I was getting weak, and started focusing on finishing as soon as possible. This caused me to rush a little, and I lost a little focus. I reached the end of one row, made the turn, and firmly planted my right foot in the poop.

I actually laughed out loud when I did it. I knew the poop was there, but stepped in it anyway.

Then I said to myself, "self, what are you gonna learn from this?"

In life, we tend to have goals;
  • find a mate for life
  • seek an education
  • pursue a specific career
  • learn a skill (like playing an instrument)
  • start a family
We start out heading in the right direction. We obtain information, and direction from others. We develop abilities. We get started moving towards the goal. We get focused, and move in a singular direction towards the goal. We see, or hear about pitfalls (or poop). We see them coming. Yet, because we get impatient and hurried, we lose focus of the poop and end up stepping in it anyway.

Stepping in poop could look like sacrificing family for a job, investing too much money before determining ability, or having children without resources to support them.

The neat thing about stepping in poop is we can get refocused, wipe it off, and keep going.

Thanks a lot for the object lesson Gibson!!

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