Are You Reaching for a Star?

Posted on January 25, 2024 by mitchteemley

“Without ambition one starts nothing. Without work one finishes nothing. The prize will not be sent to you. You have to win it.”

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

reaching-for-star-768x1024Here’s a little late January guilt (you’re welcome): If you’re like me, you started 2024 with wonderful plans and are now wrestling with “Rubber, meet Road” reality. For many, the hard part is simply getting started. Having a perfect plan is praiseworthy, but getting started is everything. The finest blueprints are still just lines on paper until the building is constructed–no one can live in a blueprint. To put it another way: you can’t steer a parked car, but a car in motion–well, OK, course corrections are necessary even when you’re moving. In fact, pilots consider course corrections a part of the plan, not interruptions; they call this “vector,” the cone-shaped general direction that gradually narrows as they move closer to their destination. Sailors call it “tacking,” the zig-zag pattern that eventually gets them to the right port of call. But more importantly, both know that at some point they have to make a start, and then keep going. Stars are lovely, but have you noticed…

They never come to us.

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About mitchteemley

Writer, Filmmaker, Humorist, Thinker-about-stuffer
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25 Responses to Are You Reaching for a Star?

  1. Sheryl Craig Russell says:
    January 25, 2024 at 11:35 am

    Good advice for me this morning!

    Reply
  2. joynealkidney says:
    January 25, 2024 at 11:53 am

    Tacking, tacking. . . .

    Reply
  3. Andrew Reynolds says:
    January 25, 2024 at 12:55 pm

    Yup, I “tack” a lot. I also do loop-d-loops, get lost, and have to start over. My most common question is, “Do I go left or right here?”

    Reply
    • dkzody says:
      January 25, 2024 at 1:07 pm

      Crossroads…we all come to them. Just did a children’s sermon on crossroads and how we handle them. Each one of us has a different way, just as God sends each of us in different directions.

      Reply
  4. Priscilla Bettis says:
    January 25, 2024 at 1:02 pm

    I’ve left the port, but I haven’t need to tack… yet.

    Reply
  5. dkzody says:
    January 25, 2024 at 1:06 pm

    “the stars never come to us…” Powerful motivation in those words. Yes, we must do, we must move, we must go.

    Reply
  6. revruss1220 says:
    January 25, 2024 at 1:09 pm

    So very true! And such a very necessary prompt, here on the 25th of January. I am happy to report I have begun a project – and am still at it – that I have put off now for many years.

    Reply
  7. AJ Hauser | Midwest Bass Fishing says:
    January 25, 2024 at 1:55 pm

    What if my car has already careened off the edge of the cliff?

    😉

    Reply
  8. Nancy Homlitas says:
    January 25, 2024 at 3:39 pm

    Thanks for snapping me out of my procrastination trance. 🙂

    Reply
  9. Victoria says:
    January 25, 2024 at 5:59 pm

    I love this…I’m a ‘tacker’ and I was entirely unaware! Thanks for the encouraging dose of wisdom, Mitch. 🥰

    Reply
  10. Manu says:
    January 25, 2024 at 8:11 pm

    Such a good point

    Reply
  11. joyindestructible says:
    January 25, 2024 at 8:36 pm

    I’m definitely a planner. I make plans and lots of stuff happens. Most of my plans stay plans but when one actually makes it into reality? Well, I’m thankful for miracles!

    Reply
  12. C.A. Post says:
    January 25, 2024 at 8:49 pm

    “The journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.” Lao Tzu

    Reply
  13. grammaoldfield says:
    January 26, 2024 at 3:25 am

    Great points in your article today. Always trying to help us improve ourselves! I was motivated and efficient when I was working at Biola but my 77 year old tired self is not that same person. Can’t wait til I graduate to Heaven and have my new energetic stamina again. I am looking forward in Heaven to singing with others who enjoyed singing solos and with a group of others that loved the Bill Gaither singers like I did. I also loved singing all Sandy Patti’s music. When she first started being noticed, the piano accompanist at my church said to me, I just heard a new singer gaining popularity and she sounds just like you! At one time I had a huge boom box and ALL Sandi Patti’s accompaniment cd’s and went to churches that were opening new churches and sang for them. That was a fun time in my past! Tell us more about all your young self’s accomplishments! I LOVE your stories! Sounds like you had a great past of music performances too! Janet Oldfield

    Reply
  14. gpavants says:
    January 27, 2024 at 12:17 pm

    Mitch,

    We reach towards the goal. It should be what gets us out of bed in the morning and propels us through the day. Lord, give is a goal today. In Christ, Gary

    Gary Avants Forbear Productions * *garyavants66@gmail.com garyavants66@gmail.com

    Reply
  15. Ann Coleman says:
    January 27, 2024 at 2:49 pm

    So you’re saying if I just sit on my duff all day, waiting for my dreams to come find me, I’m going to be waiting a long, long, time? Darn……..

    Reply
  16. themeonnblog says:
    January 27, 2024 at 3:32 pm

    This was good 👏🏽

    Reply
  17. Jennie says:
    January 27, 2024 at 8:30 pm

    Exactly!

    Reply

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