Temptation and grace
No matter how small, everyone goes through their versions of The One Ring temptation. Sometimes multiple times a week!
THINK. Do not worry if you are not familiar with Gandalf, Galadriel, or Frodo, taking their turn the face the temptation of the One Ring. I had multiple of these challenges this week, some of them were successful and some weren't. Such is life.
The one that made me think the most is how being put under pressure can lead us to actions we later regret, or ashamed of. Whether this is the performance of a fast-paced business, competitive sport rankings or social media following, many of us tend to prioritize the outcome. The path HOW to get to the outcome becomes of a secondary importance. 'No judgment on winners', right? Or...?
I had a moment of weakness of that sort, spotting an opportunity at work to not only take a higher moral ground, but also score some points individually, as opposed to a team outcome. Thankfully, I was careful enough to slow down and spot it.
Michael Jordan has been a hero of my basketball youth. Do I need to convince anyone that one of the best strategies for his team to win was just to let him do his thing? (Again, no shame if you are not familiar with Jordan's achievement... he is only a GOAT of basketball).
But the Jordan buzzer-beater, game winner moment was replaced with a conscious decision NOT to take this shot. It could have been successful; I could have stepped into limelight. Increase the balance of points on my tally. Instead, I made a pass.
FEEL. This section should have no words. As there are no words to describe the experience I had watching 'Grace' by Jody O'Neill, a Dublin Theatre Festival play on stage in Dun Laoghaire. Jody's son and my son are in the same school and class. Jody's son is autistic. So is Jody.
'Grace' is a deeply moving story of a girl whose ability to communicate with other does not meet common norms. Her perception of the world is unique, and so is her ability to process and express. Her father is the only person who understands her - but sometimes, one is enough.
Grace's multi-sensory world might be very different to what many of us experience. Her needs were reflected by the very frame that the play was organized - with audio description, subtitles, international sign language interpretation and limited sudden lightning or sound effects. The audience was given a greater freedom to self-regulate, encouraged to move around, and express themselves however they felt fit.
Jody, a renowned author, gave interview on public Irish radio. This is a 19-minute-long journey into her world, how she diagnosed her own neurodivergence in mid-thirties, and how it explained the life of feelings she had before. Given her ability to create and perform, it is hard not to see it as yet another superpower. In today's world, it is still less obvious, with a touch of stigma of being different. In our sons' generation, it is turning into acceptance that people simply need different things to have their needs met.
It was hard to hold down tears, and equally easy to burst with joy witnessing the newfound language between Grace and her Mum. Sometimes all we need is a bit of perspective.
DO. I have not been too kind to myself lately. Waking up before 6am to squeeze some training, crossing out things from multiple 'to-do' lists, recharging my battery on power boost and going again. It works, sometimes for months and years - and then it doesn't.
I am contemplating the concept of 'being enough' a lot. As organized and disciplined as I usually am, at times I feel I simply said 'yes' to too many things. Nearly all the time with the right intentions! Nobody is going to watch my back though if I don't.
The temptation of falling into an exciting new activity is thrilling ('I am sure I can learn to play electric guitar left-handed...'). But so is the grace of letting it go.
