Keep Going as Zen’s advice.

A friend had asked me to explain what I mean when I offer the encouragement to “Keep going.” I believe that I have little control over the bittersweet experience of reality. All sorts of unexpected things are always rising and then falling. I often tell myself that, regardless of what happens, accept it, don’t waste energy telling myself stories about it, and keep going. I developed this reference frame after an incident I had driving home from my job as a counselor one winter.

I was driving home from work on the I-275 freeway one snowy afternoon. I was doing about 35 miles per hour because a snowstorm had left the freeway extremely icy, so I and a few others were being cautious. As I rounded a curve a pickup truck that had just flown past started to slide, moved out of it’s lane and hit a car in the next lane. This started a pinball effect that included several cars. I had nowhere to turn and didn’t want to brake, so I drove through the cars that were pinwheeling in front of me. I remember watching two cars spinning past me as I drove towards them careening off each other and bouncing to either side of me. There were bits and pieces of cars all over the place. I kept driving up the middle unscathed. A miracle in progress. As I drove clear I could see in the rearview mirror that the freeway had come to a grinding close behind me.

I realized, that despite of what was happening around me, I kept going because I had no option that seemed reasonable under the circumstances. Eleven cars had crashed and piled up as I drove through. I had the insight that this is life. There are times when the only option I can choose is to keep going. There is no guarantee’s of outcome, but the chances of experiencing new possibilities and possible outcomes stop when I do.

So, I have two things I attempt to keep attention on. Be kind, and keep going. Somedays those two things are more than enough to keep me busy.

Take care of you, and keep going.

Bryan Wagner