I hope that you had a wonderful holiday season. It went by slowly … and quickly … and here we are in January 2022. I unplugged almost completely during the last two weeks of December. I hope you were able to be refreshed during a season focused on joy and hope.
It has been a wild ride since I involuntarily embarked upon this journey on August 2, 2021. I published sixteen episodes on my progress, and in reading back through them it’s obvious how far I’ve come. In addition to the opportunities for personal growth, I met many people along the way while developing deeper relationships with former “acquaintances.” The experience has been worth it.
As I enter 2022, I’m further along in my journey of becoming Mark Pew version 473 (yes, I’ve lived long enough to have gone thru a series of reinventions). However, this new professional iteration, and its destination, is not yet final. Is it my business venture? Is it consulting services? Is it a full-time job? Should I just drive for Uber? I know where my heart lies (as evidenced in the sequence) but there are no firm answers for any yet. Progress was often two steps forward and one step back. I’ve had celebrations (some prematurely) and setbacks. Things have gone according to plan or pretended like there never was a plan. Sometimes there really was fire, but more often than not it was just smoke. My life’s journey has always been more like a roundabout than a straightaway so none of this should be a surprise.
I have every confidence that what is supposed to happen will happen. It certainly hasn’t been according to my timeline nor my preferred method or pathway. But I have learned a new appreciation for “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” approach to life.
So I’m going to end as I started in Episode 1 when my mood was “excited and anxious” and my word was “reset.” This is the final countdown, the ending chapter of this online journal. Your public and private support has been immensely helpful along the way. I truly hope that some of the lessons I’ve learned have been helpful to others in similar circumstances. This public journey has launched hundreds of real conversations with people around the country, and for that I am grateful. On a semi-related note, I’ve decided Matthew McConaughey should play me in the movie adaptation of my book.
I have as many questions on January 3rd as I did on August 2nd, although today’s questions are different. I also have a lot of answers as I’ve learned about myself. So while the trip is not complete, it is not empty.
Once I’ve figured it out, I will let y’all know. In the meantime, I will leave you with these insightful thoughts from others:
Miles Davis reportedly said, “Do not fear mistakes, there are none” (you can read the full context of that quote about his response to a “very pronounced wrong chord” at InspiringQuotes.com). I agree with Freddy Mercury of Queen – “I’ve made a few (mistakes).” But as Friedrich Nietzsche said, “What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger.”
That’s what I’m counting on.