The faster I go, the behinder I get…

"The faster I go, the behinder I get"

"You have to run as fast as you can just to stay where you are. If you want to get anywhere, you'll have to run much faster."

"Now, here, you see, it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place."

I don't have the direct reference so only one of those might be a genuine quote, and the others as interpretations, taken from Lewis Carroll's incredible stories Alice in Wonderland and Through The Looking Glass.

Lewis has given us many gems for reflection, and this one of 'struggling to accomplish more whilst apparently achieving little compared to your effort' is one that stings me personally.

How or why is it that we can often find ourselves working hard yet 'spinning plates' and then having to work hard to 'keep things in the air' whilst in actual fact they are not really very important, or productive, and contribute little to the big success we seek.

Somewhere inside our minds exist mechanisms of thought and chemical that bind us to our follies.  Chasing windmills.  Digging ourself into a hole. Living in a state of stuckness.  Making a lot of effort or work, but little progress. Etc.

"The faster I go, the behinder I get…"

I think we must recognise where we are doing this to ourself, if possible.  And then stop to assess the situation. Perhaps we can learn to choose a clear straight path of achieving our important goals when we realise the times we are doing all the running we can do, yet keeping in the same place.

Originally posted 2008-05-17 22:02:58. Republished by Old Post Promoter

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