Accomplishment

We honor it, we seek it, we rest on it, we imagine it: to accomplish something. There is a satisfaction in the completing, or the laying down or putting to rest of the task, project, goal, dream. (Just see my rave about my cleaned and organized closet, for one example.) I was going to pat myself on the back today because yesterday was a 7 of out 7 day! Yes, I did plan my time (even praying whether I should give up going to the YMCA because I could NOT find my bathing suit -- the impression I got was "keep looking"), read my scriptures, eat healthy foods, pray (more than once!), write in my journal and my blog, exercise (see above :>) and ... hmmm, how do I put this in past tense: I "be'd sober," "be sobered" or the boring "was sober"? (This is like "copies of the Book of Mormon.") How about: I didn't watch any television, I didn't eat any sweets, and I didn't read any novels today. (Now THAT's an accomplishment.)



Yet as I ponder it, I didn't complete anything. I am still on the journey; I still have progress to make, steps to take. Does one small success, one inching toward completion, a bit of movement, a piece of victory, a taste of glory COUNT? "Yes," and "It depends." Yes, because life isn't later, joy isn't eventual, and purpose is present. The fact that I need to do it again today doesn't diminish the reality that I did accomplish my goal, objective, commitment yesterday. It depends because who is doing the counting? It seems to me that it is always a mistake to imagine some ubiquitous "they" judging, scoring, and counting our efforts and choices: I wonder if "they" are a disguise for our own internal criticism, the lies of the world's expectations, the dismissive, demeaning and discouraging voices demanding justice while withholding mercy. Life, purpose and joy ARE the accomplishment -- we must accept and embrace them before we can celebrate other, more fleeting yet more tangible, success.