The Optimal

Hey, it's that time again. I actually have a great deal on my mind, so if you'll bear with me, I hope it will be thought provoking.

Well, to start it off, there have been a couple of phrases that have been stuck in my head as of late. The first is "Optimal is imminent," more commonly stated as "The best is yet to come." I hear people saying that all the time, and I began to think if it was true or not. In my own life, in looking back to 2000 and 2003 (and to a lesser extent, 2004), I began to wonder if my best was behind me. In looking in the mirror, certainly my physique has seen better days. Or what if I am currently seeing the best days that I'll ever see? I was left pondering this for a couple days until I reached a conclusion.

These thoughts drew me to one conclusion: the best is behind us; the best is with us; and the best is ahead of us. I believe all our steps have been ordained before our time so that each day we are living in the optimal situation for our lives in our personal development. What, then, of the saying "The best is yet to come"? I came to this conclusion: I do not think that the statement fully grasps what people's true desires are. When they are making that statement, they are holding out hope that the "most appealing" is imminent in their lives. However, I do not believe that the "most appealing" is the best. There are trials in our lives that we must face in order to become the people whom we are called to be. Therefore, we have lived our best days, are currently living them, and will continue to live them until our time on earth is complete.

The second statement was actually a statement I made in an instant message conversation: "In due time, I'll take what's mine." I have actually received many questions about that phrase in the last week that I have used it as my away message. I have come to the conclusion that there are times in life that we need to be proactive in achieving our desires. However, I believe in such a thing as appropriate proactivity. Not all our desires can be or should be fulfilled immediately. There are externalities that should be taken into consideration before we act upon our own desires, because sometimes what we feel to be best for ourselves can cause undue harm or pain to another. I believe that our desires should be considered thoughtfully and prayerfully, then we should move when the time is right. Just like anyone else, I have desires for myself and for my life, and I know to fulfill these desires I need to be proactive. However, it's not the due time. When it is the due time, you can be sure I'll do what I can to take what I hope to be mine.

Well, that's been what I've had on my mind as of late. I hope I provoked thoughts within you and that it was a relatively interesting read.