We Will Never Get It All Figured Out

Outside the Boston Public Library

Life is a really just a bunch of new challenges getting in our way over and over again. We can find joy and fun in those challenges, or we can find frustration and struggle. Most of us do both. We find some challenges fun, and others make us question our entire reason for living. We may leave a friend, we may question our faith, or give up on a profession, or just settle for less than we can be.

It is a choice. No matter what you do, you will never get past the challenge(s). You will never figure it all out. You will never find a place where you agree with everything in some organization, or some faith, or some group of people. You will never know it all in some subject, or with some skill, or in a profession. You’ll never fully understand your partner or your children. You can never read all the books and learn all the skills. You will never feel like you have arrived. At least not in this life.

I love the way Pat Metheny put it in his 1996 Berklee College Commencement speech. This is from a man who is known for practicing, learning and knowing more than almost any musician. He has more awards than almost anyone. He has worked harder than anyone to figure it all out. He has highly respected and has played with and mentored countless others in his field.

"But I do think that when I was younger, there would be a day when I would sort of 'get it', and that everything would be cool, and I would have arrived at that promised land of being a great musician and I would just be. And I can see now, that that is never going to happen."

We will never figure it all out. Isn't that wonderful?