I came upon the word juggernaut this morning. It’s not an every day word; it means, in essence, unstoppable. But I decided to look it up (this is a great way to avoid starting a first draft). Merriam Webster defines juggernaut as “something (such as a force, campaign, or movement) that is extremely large and powerful and cannot be stopped; a very large, heavy truck.” And then I came to this:
a massive inexorable force, campaign, movement, or object that crushes whatever is in its path
And I started thinking about a few places in my life where I was certain an unstoppable dynamic was at work. Taking this to the micro level, I thought of my dog Max who is paralyzed by the Fresh Direct trucks in our neighborhood — inexorable, unstoppable, noisy trucks of overwhelming power — he stops, shakes, and freezes on the spot. There are more than a few things that can stop me, and when I hear their roar, I imagine them barreling toward me in 3D IMAX intensity.
We’re all surrounded by fear, exhaustion, and stress; by dings, rings, and wooshes that cause our brains to cry out for peace.
But when I say to Max, “It’s just a Fresh Direct truck that delivers good food to people, and you are a mighty dog…” I’m telling myself something as well.
Today, I’m going to step beyond what I think I can’t do, ignore the roar, and do it.