There is no Pot of Gold
The Turning Feral Journal - Day 43
Day 44 - It’s an interesting thing that we teach our children there is a pot of gold waiting for them at the end of whatever path they on. We tell them that if they suffer well, endure hardships, and pursue tough things they will win in life. Yet, as adults we know that to be a lie.
We never teach them that what they find may not look at all like a pot of gold. In fact, the likelihood that monetary success comes at the tail end of struggle and dogged determination is almost zero. Look at professional athletics as an example. For every gold medal winning wrestler, swimmer, fighter, etc. there are hundreds and thousands of top-tier athletes nipping at their heels who come up short. These ‘other’ athletes dedicated their lives to the same craft but will never feel the glory of hoisting that first place trophy and receiving the monetary benefits that come with that.
I think as a society (and parents) we have to start reframing what pots of gold actually look like. We should teach them that pots of gold manifest in various forms outside of the monetary caricature. Things like renewed perspective, mental & physical health, and life satisfaction. If the monetary reward of struggle is all they are taught to chase, then they will be disappointed with the actual gifts they are most likely to receive – which arguably have more long term value and can’t be bought or sold.
If you are on a journey chasing the pot of gold at the end of your rainbow, be cautious that the monetary benefit could just be a mirage, and don’t overlook the other gifts you receive along the way!
Daily Prompt: What pot of gold have you recently pursued? Did you get it? If not, what other gifts did you get along the way?:
Motivational Passage:
“It must be borne in mind that the tragedy of life doesn’t lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goals to reach.” —Benjamin E. Mays
Rewilding Action: Headlamps are an often overlooked tool that I use everyday. Having a light (other than your iphone) to allow hands free movement in any dark situation is beyond necessary. In fact, I always keep two in my vehicle and usually carry two when I am out in the woods. Most manufacturers today have solid products and brand differentiation (in my opinion) isn’t that big… Petzl, Black Diamond, and Fenix will all get the job done. I usually carry one USB rechargeable light and one that can run off of batteries.