Thursday, April 4, 2013

The big "MO"

     Momentum. It exists in everything and it's a very good thing that it does. Have you ever felt like, 'What's the use of trying to take on that huge problem in my life? I just don't have the wherewithal to overcome it'? I know I have. I used to let bills pile up and then be like, 'That's going to take ten hours to do so forget it.' But the thing is the effect of effort is cumulative and no honest effort is ever wasted. And so once you start storing up all the cumulative effort that's when the magic of momentum kicks in and that's when the fun starts.
     I know, I know, REO Speedwagon is not the most popular band in the world. (Read: euphemism.) But they've got a couple of cool songs and one of them is "Roll with the Changes." Specifically the line I'm thinking of is:

I knew it had to happen--felt the tables turning

     I just love that line. I love it because it's true. If you put the effort into something and you believe (and you believe it because it is true) that all your effort is cumulative, then one day you will feel that momentum kick in and you will 'feel the tables turning.' And then you can bank on things going your way. If you keep working hard, you will KNOW it has to happen.
     The hard part can be getting to that tipping point. But once you get there and big MO takes over, I'm telling you, life get's so exciting. It's like you've got extra people inside you helping you, giving you energy, direction, things start falling into place, people start showing up to help you, and man, your life takes off.
     So don't think, 'Aw, what's the use, I'll never even be able to make a dent in that huge problem.' No, say, 'ANY effort I make will not be wasted and eventually I will develop a momentum that will be unstoppable.'
     Marcus Aurelius in his Meditations talked about the difference between a small and a large fire. (A large fire would have the same characteristics of big MO.)

That which rules within, when it is according to nature, is so affected with respect to the events which happen, that it always easily adapts itself to that which is and is presented to it. For it requires no definite material, but it moves towards its purpose, under certain conditions however; and it makes a material for itself out of that which opposes it, as fire lays hold of what falls into it, by which a small light would have been extinguished: but when the fire is strong, it soon appropriates to itself the matter which is heaped on it, and consumes it, and rises higher by means of this very material. 


     And read that carefully— it makes a material for itself "out of that which OPPOSES it." In other words, if your fire (your big MO) is big enough, even what comes against you will end up feeding your fire! How cool is that!

     If you want something a little more contemporary than Marcus Aurelius how about Peter Gabriel (from his song "Biko"):

You can blow out a candle/ But you can't blow out a fire.

     See, once big MO kicks in, you're that strong fire that just consumes EVERYTHING in its path. Think of a raging forest fire. EVERYTHING becomes fuel for it. NOTHING snuffs it out.
     That's what your life will be like when big MO kicks in. Get there and you're in for the ride of  your life.

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