Socrates – II

I’m my own worst enemy.

What’s new?

You’re not helping.

I’m not supposed to.
I’m you, remember?

Yeah yeah, but I’m starting to get fed up.
Somehow I manage to put up walls
between where I am and where I’m going
while I’m walking forward.

What’s wrong with an obstacle course
every now and then?

Do I really need another obstacle course?!
Are there just not enough obstacles
in the world already?!
It’s hard enough to actually do something,
as if I need that extra voice in my head
saying “you aren’t good enough”
or “it’s too hard”!

You don’t think you need that voice?

Of course I don’t!

Then you’re screwed.

Where did you get that from?

If a storm stands between you
and where you’re going,
who tells you to stop before you’re shipwrecked?

That voice, I guess, but…

So without the voice, who stops you
from forging ahead blindly
into a storm that may be too much to overcome?

Okay, your point is that my
own obstacles may not be
obstacles, but warning signs?

That’s your point, I’m just
asking questions.

Whatever, but then which warning signs
do I listen to?
When I tell myself “I can’t do it”,
am I holding myself back from a goal
or a cliff?

What’s the difference?

Isn’t it obvious?
Goal = good,
Cliff = ouch.

Who’s falling off the cliff?

I am!

Wrong. Your ego is.

Wait a minute, you’re saying
that voice is necessary because it saves me from falling,
but falling doesn’t harm anything but my ego.
Contradiction much?

Whether you take the warning sign
as “Stop” or “Detour”,
isn’t that on you?

Detour where?

That’s for you to find out.

You’re making no sense!

When you hear “it’s too hard”,
can’t you hear “is there another way”?

Yeah…

And if you hear “is there another way”,
what will you do?

I’ll look for one instead of stopping
at the edge.

And if there isn’t another way?

Off the cliff.

Satisfied?

Well…

no, if I’m being honest.
It isn’t easy to just dismiss my ego like that.
Failing is falling is shipwreck,
at least for a while.
It’s too hard.

Is there another way?

I don’t see any, not this time.
The only alternative is standing still,
and I’m not that tired or hopeless yet.

So then, what course are we charting
through the storm?

The only course there is.

Straight ahead, cap’n.

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