This past weekend I was able to put our fireplace to use for this first time. Before I could do this, I had to have a chimney sweep come out and clean it up and make sure everything was in working order. Because it's a new (old) house, I also had to make sure I had the correct tools and accessories to make sure that we could keep it in working order as soon as the weather was right. Weeks of waiting finally paid off because the weather was finally below freezing and I was able to get to work building the fire. There are a lot of things that I get excited about doing, but my favorite is building a fire and keeping it going through the day on a cold weekend. I'm not sure if I have an inner "pyro" in me or not, but there is something about the different steps involved in getting a fire going that really gets me fired up (pun intended) and then keep it going for the duration of the day.
I started out by opening up the damper and then heating the flue to get the circulation going. Once this was done, I got some wood and kindling going to get the fire started. Finally, after I knew that things were going well based on the cracks and pops of the wood, I maintained the fire by stoking it with more wood and shifting it now and then to keep it burning. It's not a terribly complicated process, but it does take work and you have to keep your eye on it so the fire doesn't burn out. While I was tending to the fire, it dawned on me that what I was doing was not too different from how I approach the various aspects of my life. Whether it be my relationships, my work, or the various hobbies I have, I must follow the process and continually stoke the fire if I want to keep the passion alive. It is when I neglect to follow these steps that the fire goes out and I fall short. What I'm left with is an empty feeling and regret that I didn't do things the right way and accomplish the task at hand. It is in these moments that I can do one of two things. I can point the finger at others and blame them for the outcome or I can do the hard work of looking inward and owning my responsibility in why things didn't work out the way that I wanted them to. The first is a pretty easy thing to do because I don't have to take any ownership. The latter, however, is where the growth comes and allows me to stoke the fire so I can do better next time.
Ultimately, anything worth doing is worth doing the right way without taking shortcuts. Sometimes it involves a painstaking process to follow, but if done correctly and intentionally, the outcome will be what you expected. Things can go really wrong if we don't do the necessary work that is required for the final outcome and when this happens, we need to take a look in the mirror and do an audit of ourselves. It is absolutely true that there are variables that are outside of our control that contribute to the outcomes we encounter, but those variables are not the sole reason for our success or lack thereof. It has been said that Event (E) + Response (R) = Outcome (O) and this is wholeheartedly true. We may not be able to control the event, but we can certainly control our response to determine a positive outcome. I may be stuck with some wet/damp wood, but if I'm committed to the process of getting the fire started and stoke the flame, I'll be in good shape.
#OwnYourEpic #Connect
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