I go down to the shore in the morning
and depending on the hour the waves
are rolling in or moving out,
and I say, oh, I am miserable,
what shall—
what should I do? And the sea says
in its lovely voice:
Excuse me, I have work to do.
– Mary Oliver, A Thousand Mornings
I taught two classes today. The university is back in session.
I feel like a rider who’s been thrown from her horse. She’s back on now but she’s feeling it.
Just because I asked for this doesn’t mean it’s easy. The rhythm of the work comes with time.
I’m not “miserable.”
I’m also not an ocean.
DAVID BERRY is the author of “A More Daring Life: Finding Voice at the Crossroads of Change” and the founder of RULE13 Learning. He speaks and writes about the complexity of leading in a changing world.
