do not flinch when you have to choose

 

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“Just remember, if you flinch from your destiny, you’ll never achieve your true greatness — you didn’t choose to be chosen, but being chosen means you have to choose.”

 

Charlie Jane Anders

 

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“Souls are funny things. They stay constant even when the outside changes, or when the heart makes mistakes.

Souls don’t really care about good or bad, right or wrong — they’re just true.”

 

Miranda July

 

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Wow.

 

If you flinch …  that Anders quote is fucking awesome.

 

I had no idea who Charlie Jane Anders was when I read this quote and I am now glad I found out who she is.

 

Charlie Jane Anders

She is an American transgender fiction author and commentator. Author of All the Birds in the Sky, coming January 26, 2016 from Tor Books. Raconteur, bon vivant, wild and perilous soul. Willing to be a bad influence for a good cause.

 

Anyway.

 

I am glad I did some research because I gained a better perspective on the depth of this quote.

 

On its surface I just liked it.

 

I like the thought of it.

 

I like the truth of it.

 

I like the circumspection aspect of it.

 

I like the aspirational perspective of it <I do believe each of us has a destiny if we elect to achieve it>.

 

And I like the simplicity … and complexity within … of it.

 

But.

 

Coming from her point of view brings this quote to an entirely different level.

 

It shifts from merely communicating in platitudes to generating a deeper understanding that life chooses your destiny for you, everyone is included in that “you,” but it’s up to you to choose whether you accept your destiny.

 

And it is there, for all to see, in the quote … it is easy to flinch from your destiny.

Incredibly easy.

 

And that is what makes her thought a little more powerful because it is easy to see how she would have flinched. And … just guessing … probably did at some point.

 

And, yet, this woman who was born in New England and was herself a choirboy.

 

And, yet, this woman who has stated that she has been cross dressing since “definitely in my early teens.”

 

And, yet, this woman who has also self-identified herself as genderqueer and a trans woman.

 

She chose.

 

Yeah.

At some point she chose … yes … she chose … to follow the destiny life chose for her.

 

No excuses … she just chose.

 

Easy?

 

Yikes.

 

I imagine not.

 

Inspirational?

 

You bet.

 

I respect her. I am envious of her strength of character. But I am most likely most envious of her ability to access, and embrace, some self truth. Maybe I could suggest she peeked into her soul and decided she would choose to embrace it rather than flinch from it.

 

I say that because, ultimately, I imagine the stability and security of our souls needs to be grounded in some self truth. Ok. Some harsh unfettred self truth. The kind of harshness that could … well … make you flinch.

 

Harsh?

 

No lies.

No bullshit.

No ‘wishes.’

 

Just harsh unfettered truth.

 

In order to be greater than the turmoil of life.

In order to stand unwavering in the storm of life.

In order to not flinch in the face of the stiffest winds of life.

 

Just harsh unfettered truth.

 

I would argue that this harsh unfettered truth gives us a space.

It’s kind of like the eye of a hurricane.

 

It enables us to draw some lines.

It enables us to create some limits.

It enables us to place some margins as a buffer.

 

But at the center?

 

Just harsh unfettered truth.

 

I use harsh purposefully.

 

Self reflection is always difficult. It’s tough facing some shit you most likely don’t want to face.

 

But admitting it? Whew.

 

That’s where harsh comes in.

 

You come face to face with some shit you more than likely would rather not face about yourself and then … well … you admit that what you face is you.

 

That’s, more often than not, harsh.

You flinch a little.

 

But in flinching at this point you are empowered to not flinch when facing outwards.

 

You face your sins.

You face your flaws.

You face your failures.

 

You face the harsh unfettered truth.

 

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“I speak my own sins; I cannot judge another.

I have no tongue for it.”

 

Arthur Miller

 

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I believe any hope of greatness … any hope of attaining our destiny … always resides within us. I would also argue the harshest evaluation of your hope resides within the harsh unfettered truth within.

 

Now.

 

All of this may sound like only personal Life thinking.

 

It is not.

 

I use these same words these days with business people about businesses and companies. Businesses are given every opportunity to flinch. And I would suggest that most businesses, and business people, do flinch.

 

Shit.

 

The world makes it fairly easy to flinch.

 

In today’s world in which there seems to be no black and white and only grays.

In today’s world in which there seems to be no facts and only common sense.

In today’s world in which there seems to be no truth and only lies.

 

That said.

 

Not flinching resides in the power of self <as an individual r as a business> and naked unfettered truths.

 

Those who strip themselves naked of anything but truth will stand out not for their nakedness but rather for their clarity of who and what they are. These will be deemed the true authentic and the true credible and the true commendable or capable of winning favorable acceptance in people’s minds.

 

That is a harsh unfettered truth for the few who desire distinction and success in today’s world.

 

Don’t flinch from your harsh unfettered truth for it contains your destiny.

 

I will end by suggesting if Charlie Jane Anders didn’t flinch from her destiny … then none of us have an excuse.

None.

 

Being chosen means you have to choose.

 

So don’t flinch when faced with your destiny.

 

Maybe, just maybe, we should all seek a little willing to be a bad influence for a good cause.

 

 

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“Just remember, if you flinch from your destiny, you’ll never achieve your true greatness — you didn’t choose to be chosen, but being chosen means you have to choose.”

Charlie Jane Anders

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Written by Bruce