spiral staircase

My friend n*wrote a great  post recently about how he’s worked tremendously hard over the past year to start a new career.  While his new career is rewarding (and humbling) he finds himself, one year later, confronting some of the same challenges that led him to embark on a new path a year ago. 

How many times do we try new things only to find ourselves in a marginally better situation?   To be clear the new situation is better, but often not dramatically so.  Myself, I’ve dedicated mounds of cash and thousands of hours in the last two years furthering my education.  As a result, I’ve gotten a new job (which I love!) but I’m still propelled and anchored by who I am.  No better, no worse. 

We aim high, perhaps fall a little short.  Then we take our sights and aim high again.  It’s the American way.  Is this a profound truth?  Or an excuse for a fourth place finish?

Through these confusing thoughts, an image started to come into mind.  Those of us who are motivated to change, to be something new and better, are climbing a spiral staircase.  We’re taking these steps looking to find our way upward to the new and the better.  As we climb, we sometimes rest and take stock of our progress.  We look back down we see that we’re still really not much farther than we were.  In fact we may have walked in a circle, but it’s not a circle – it’s a spiral.  Our fantastic flights often don’t take us to new places but to new and better versions of today. 

So I’ll continue reading books like this and this and I’ll keep climbing.  As for n*, you should eat his food – it’s damn fine cuisine.