Complete
or Incomplete, Where Are You and Where Do You Want to Be?
by Gerry Rose, Integrity Networking Solutions, Business Consultant
Recently I met with a couple a man
and a woman who co-habitat. We got into a conversation around
feeling complete. My answer to complete is that it is our first
day taking our “dirt” nap. When we reach “complete,” I believe
we are dead. As we continue to learn and grow, we are
“incomplete”. Let’s explore this.
We go through life having goals set
for us to “complete”. Confirmation, kindergarten graduation,
sixth grade promotion, middle school, high school, college and
university all are “complete” goals. We graduate to adulthood
assuming adult roles. As a mother, father, or breadwinner we
take the roles given to us for our lifetime. As we move from
adulthood to our senior years, we maintain the consciousness of
those roles, even if we mature beyond them. As the breadwinner,
I provide for my family. Now as a senior, do I plan on reaching
“complete” by becoming sedate in my life? In my goals, do I now
choose to be sedentary? To stop living and growing is not my
choice. Is it yours?
The significance of “complete” or
“incomplete” is as easy to understand as understanding the
consistency of life as it relates to change. As I go through
life change is the only constant, as it should be. Without
change growth and development stops. However, frequently when
we have a life changing event (loss of job, major health set
back) we look back on previous life experience longing for the
time when we were in “control”. Control is merely the repeating
of previous life experience. Beyond middle age it should be our
previous life experience that now allow us to explore “new”
challenges. New challenges allow us to grow towards being
“complete”.
I learned to roller blade in 1994 at
age 44. At 55 I finished my first Ironman 70.3 (1.2-mile ocean
swim, 56-mile bike ride, 13.2 mile run). Each challenge gave me
the opportunity to be “incomplete” as I approach “complete”.
They allow me to grow. I continue to look for ways of being
“incomplete”. I want my business to be “incomplete”, allowing
it to continue to grow. I want to run more marathons, each
faster than the last.
I never have to run another
marathon. I may never ride my roller blades again; however, I
have the option to do so. I can choose to avoid reading books
with new information. I can accept my financial place as
comfortable or choose to consider better options. You see it is
a choice to be “complete” in our lives. It is our choice.
Setting small but varied goals to develop change once a year,
once a month, or once each week is required to stay vital. All
the people who read this article are people who want to stay
vital or you would not be reading it! In this case, taking any
action which will create change in your life, is essential!
The best story I
ever heard to make the point of “complete” or “incomplete” was
during a college graduation ceremony. The commencement speaker
spoke of commencement as a “BEGINNING” not “The End”. The
commencement ceremony at “The End of College” indicates the
completion of 16 years of school, life training, and study. For
those who go on (we all go on,) we have additional school, life
and/or both. Commencing allows us to be incomplete. Choose to
be “incomplete” to allow your life to continue to grow to avoid
the 1st day of your “dirt nap!”
