Death and challenge (/tax deadlines)

Challenges seem to come at the time when we feel we need them least. Often, it’s the opposite. The issues we neglect persist and continue to exist, we only listen when they become loud enough to drown out the issues we want to work on. That is, they become screamers.

The challenge with allowing screamers is that we can train ourselves to willful deafness, to avoid the tax bill, to ignore the repairs we don’t understand, or overlook the signs that a loved one needs help. But our attention is finite, we say. If we tried to solve every problem when would I rest?

So we drown out the unknown and put our attention in what we believe we understand, and dare the quiet issues to become so loud we can no longer ignore them.

“But I’m busy” we shout in disdain.

“But I warned you. I told you to listen to me and you were busy then,” challenge reminds us.

With time, challenge come for us all, with no regard for what we deemed important today or yesterday.

Busy is simply an illusion that allows us to remain in our comfort zone, one that allows us to soften the whispers of the unknown.

We choose to hear only the things that remind us we are safe, and many miss the challenges that can make us great. That is, until it’s too late.

Editors Note: I initially wanted to write about the upcoming tax deadline, which is 10/15 (PSA).