Isn't It Possible?

Isn’t it possible that you’re putting way too much store in a one-off comment- a prickly twig of criticism protruding from a splendid tree of fruitful accomplishment? Isn’t it possible that you didn't read that situation quite right- that your assumptions are unreliable; that doubt, the tiamat adversary to the most hardened men is exploiting its opportunity to whisper silver words from its forked tongue in the back of your ear?

Isn’t it possible that you’re braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think? Isn’t it possible that the supportive majority might- just might- have a slight authority against the vocal licentious minority?

Isn’t it possible that you did a good job, that you should celebrate your success, focus on the brightspots, and allow yourself to be proud? Isn’t it possible that you have a lot to bring to the table, and how you perceive the glass is your choice- and no one else’s?

Isn’t it possible that stumbling blocks and stepping stones are made of the same stuff- that Rome wasn’t built in a day, that there’s two ways to skin a cat, and that the latter of those platitudes should probably be phased out of contemporary parlance? Isn’t it possible that a job well done can be its own reward, but isn’t its only reward- that if you build it, they will come, and your measure of success isn’t how many butts are in the seats but rather how many pilgrims return?

Isn’t it possible that the reason you’re not sure isn’t because you’re weak or insecure, but because you care- you respect yourself, your ethic, your product, and your reputation. You have great concern for how your intentions and actions affect those around you, and you care very much to know that others receive fulfilment as a result of your labor?

Isn’t it possible that even the sharpest hatchet needs to be oiled and honed to maintain its vigor- that olympians train a hundred weeks and two for ten days of sport, and that the sound of one hand clapping may never be heard, but the echo of its reverberation remains one of the most powerful forces on earth?

Isn’t it possible that the road is rarely straight and narrow- that generations before you have stumbled longing for a crystal stair; that we cannot do great things, but only little things with great love? Isn’t it possible that the line between pride and hubris is marked not by asking “what have I accomplished?,” but “what have I yet to do?”

Isn’t it possible that perfect is the enemy of good- that an eye for an eye will leave a village blind, and the only person who can judge you on your best is you?

You’ll probably never really know for sure. But ask yourself- isn’t it…possible?