Notes From The Awareness: 193

The effort needed to go around something is always more than would be needed to go through it.

Please discuss. How does this play out in life?

I’ll start us out. Many of us wondered when we would ever apply geometry lessons in real life. Here’s a fine example of geometry’s relevance, where c = circumference. π is the constant for pi, and r = radius: c = 2πr. It’s easy to see, just from the formula, that circumference will always be greater than the diameter (which is radius x 2). The distance around a circular object is always more than the distance straight through it.

The same principle also applies with difficult life situations: it is more efficient to go through them directly than it is to skirt them. Voluntarily wading through a challenging scenario can seem daunting. At first glance, it may appear easier to veer and avoid direct engagement. Yet, if we do circumvent the issue rather than dealing with it directly, we may often find the same or a similar issue arises in the future. We need to learn the lesson the situation holds for us.

Today’s message reminds me that avoidance and its accompanying resistance will consume more of my effort than a straightforward approach. I can pause to strategize or muster my energy, but then I will want to the the head-on path through the issue, rather than trying to avoid it. As my partner Nate Hall says, “The easy way is the hard way.”

How about you? Are you a fan of the straightforward approach to things?