The last of the apples have been picked, the leaves are falling from the trees, the plants in the pond are dying back and autumn is well and truly upon us. The fact that this time of year will soon give way to those damp, dark November evenings that I dislike so much, allied to the fact that I’ve recently spent time with my oldest friends, may be why I’m in a reflective mood. You see, try as I might and despite the fact that I’m well past retirement age, I still feel that there is much I have yet to do. Moreover, my psyche compels me to try to do those things, knowing that they will never be enough. Fortunately, I know sufficient about myself to realise why I’m that way and that squares the circle of my emotional life.
So, I set about this Monday morning with, if not quite renewed vigour, then an acceptance that I just need to keep going with a steady resilience. I am buoyed by the fact that I’m still healthy (he said while clutching a large plank of wood), have all my wits about me and a family that provides the foundation for my life. And, yes, I’ve worked to get to where I am and am, hopefully, at last starting to realise my talents. However, I’m also very aware of the great part that luck plays in life. In my case not too much of it good in the early years to be replaced by an abundance as I get older. Such luck and a certain resilience can be a powerful combination plus, of course the ability to recognise the former so that you can grasp it with both hands when it comes along.
If only I’d realised all this much earlier, maybe I’d have spent much less time worrying and more time achieving. Still, as my lovely wife tells me, look at what you have done and enjoy it. I just know that I’ll enjoy it more when I’ve achieved more. So I keep going, along with that resilience and a degree of luck; a recipe that is serving me well.