We seek the experience of “new”. It’s full of excitement, energy, and wonder. When “new” appears unexpectedly, it can be full of fear and possible rejection. In either case, there is a shine to newness regardless of whether it’s positive or negative.
Our emotions are active where there is shine. As with a new car. Where no raindrop or finger print has yet to disturb its finish. We feel good in a new car. There is excitement when moving to a bigger house. Uncontrollable anticipation when we are about to travel to someplace new, different and alluring.
There is no logic where there is shine. Shine makes us feel good when it is welcome. We always have an emotional reaction to shine. Even when it surprises us.
What happens though when the shine fades? The newness wears off? This is a problem we face throughout our lives almost daily. The new shoes we just bought are not new for long. Our new job with a company grows old a few weeks in. Projects that seemed exciting during conception become less interesting as the weeks progress with little progress. A new customer begins to lose the enthusiasm they showed us when we first sold them.
Shine always triggers an emotional high that obscures our reality. For shine always overpromises and under delivers. All of our emotional excitement at the beginning makes us forget of what is ahead. Making us underestimate the work needed to bring to fruition the promise that the shine first shared in our excitement.
When the shine wears off, we are all that is left.
No longer is the object with its shine of newness important. Rather how we continue to use, nurture, or develop the object now faces us front and center. The new shoes were supposed to make us dance better. This is what the shine promised in our excitement when we first bought them. Only to become dull from days worn with uninspiring performances. Bringing us to the realization that we need more practice before the shoes can deliver.
Everything in life always comes back to what do we do next with what we now have.
Simple statement. Difficult to live. For it requires the energy within your heart, to fuel the logic of your mind, to empower the strength within your soul, to realize the promise shared when first seeing a new shine. Long after it has worn off. Leaving only its promise to be seen by never giving up while realizing it is still up to us to deliver.