It’s that time again, when we say goodbye to the old
year and welcome the new one. I don’t want to intimidate anyone with the “R”*
word, so I won’t use it except inside parenthesis at the bottom of this post so
as not to scare anyone who isn’t ready to make that kind of commitment.
So I’m going to skip that word altogether and talk
about the “G” word (which stands for goals, and doesn’t carry with it the same
weight as the “R” word). I’ve read many books and articles about the importance
of defining, setting and achieving goals, so am well-schooled in the importance
of being goal-oriented. In some aspects of my life I am a goal-setter, and
others, well, not so much.
But this year I’ve begun to look at goals
differently, thanks to a documentary I watched about Tomi Ungerer titled “Far
Out Isn’t Far Enough.” It’s about the children’s book author whom Maurice Sendak called disarming and
funny, and not respectable at all. “He broke down doors, he broke down windows,
and made enemies like crazy and seemed oblivious. He was treated badly, not
reviewed as often as he should have been, not held up as an icon, which he was.”
If you watch it, be warned that the images can be
graphic. In addition to children’s books, some of his art could be defined as
the OPPOSITE of suitable for children (and some adults). I’m not kidding. He
said his life was driven by fear: his father died when he was a child, and Nazi
occupation also played a big role. Let’s just say these two influences show up
in his art.
So, what did he say that changed my attitude towards
goals? It’s a simple sentence that resonates with me, and moves beyond the idea
that setting goals can sometimes feel like a check list. He
said “Destiny needs a destination.” Isn’t that beautiful? If you are driven by
a passion, then that work is your destiny. Your work needs a destination, a
place where it belongs – a home. And thinking of a destination in terms of
bringing your work home is like setting a goal, but with a deeper commitment to
realizing its potential. The two become one. They can’t be separated. Completing
the work is the destiny and the destination.
I love that, and hope his words inspire you as much
as they did me.
Write soon,
Mary
(*Resolutions, as in “New Year’s”)
