Over Christmas my sister and her fiancée brought over their Wii. After a few rounds of Wii tennis, we played the new version of Super Mario Brothers.
I used to be really good at the Super Mario games defeating all of them on the earlier consoles, but it’s been quite some time since I’ve owned a video game system now and my skills are definitely lacking. When I returned to Arizona, I thought I’d look up a few things Mario-related as I was feeling a bit nostalgic and stumbled upon this surprisingly motivational video of Super Mario.
The music by Sigur Rós obviously contributes to the video, but for me the real motivation or inspiring tone come from the journey. You feel Mario’s ongoing pursuit. You feel his growth and his development. You see the dangers arise, but you also see his moments of joy along the way. It doesn’t feel like a game anymore, but a purposeful quest.
I realize that I’m getting a little deep on a fan made video, but I think there is some great truth in it.
A few days ago a good friend of mine and I were talking about some of our own areas of struggle. We felt like we have been working for quite some time and have yet to achieve success in one or two aspects of our lives. There is incredible frustration there. We want it to be easier. We want things to work out. We want to arrive at a destination.
But that isn’t how life works.
It is a journey. It is a pursuit. It can be a quest.
As I mentioned in my blog on Friday, true change takes time and an ongoing effort.
You are going to face disappoint this year. You are going to face false finish lines.
As in the early video game, you might have someone tell you that the goal has been moved and “our princess is in another castle.” In those moments you have to keep on going.
Here’s to hoping you find a few stars along the way.