Be True To This Glorious Quest

EVENING:

OK, it's the last go-around for the Quest. If you feel like going on the Quest, grab for the brass ring. It's now or never.

You can see there's more to it than a reasonable person might guess, being "willing to march into Hell / For a heavenly cause."

I mean, c'mon, that's deadly stuff. There I go, marching into Hell. I look around, plant Heaven's flag, and it bursts into flames.

But there I am and my group of self-esteem, confidence, and pride students, looking at me like they hope I know what I'm doing.

I do a few Hulk Hogan crunches and show my undying confidence by ripping through my T-shirt, revealing my well-ripped torso and pecs.

We're on a Quest. I recommend it. It may have its bad side, like most trips to Hell do. But it's all in a day's work. The Impossible Dream.

Look at it this way: Is sitting on the couch vegetating really that much better of an life? In the end, what have you got to show for it?

But with a real true blue Quest in life, like the song says, "My heart will lie peaceful and calm / When I'm laid to my rest."

I think that describes me pretty well. But the song also says that only happens "If I'll only be true / To this glorious quest."

If I'm not true to the Quest, if I discount it, if I shirk my duties, what I know to be right, the best path, then I'll get squat.

So are you with me? Are you going on this Quest? Maybe not MY Quest, but YOUR Quest? If you are, let's have a rallying cry! YEAH! WOO-HOO!

This Is My Quest -- Without Question Or Pause

EARLY EVENING:

Hmm, I'd forgotten where the "Impossible Dream" song came from. Turns out it was from "Man of La Mancha," which I've only seen part of.

So it says, "No matter how hopeless, no matter how far," which I remembered well enough. What follows is more of the same, only worse.

"To fight for the right / Without question or pause / To be willing to march into Hell / For a heavenly cause." Willing to march into Hell?

I'll have to think about that one. That might be more than I'm willing to do. That could be tricky. I might not make it back for dinner.

I'm not much of a fighter either, especially without question or pause. I think it's very worthwhile to question what's going on.

And if that means pausing long enough to look at the situation from various angles, so be it. Nothing's worse than unnecessary conflict.

I'm pausing right now. And if questioning is bad, count me bad. I'm forever on a quest, but I like to think it's on reasonable terms.

I can't advocate anything quite that severe for those I counsel on self-esteem, pride, and having confidence. I'm a little more delicate.

Yet it's still good! Don't be discouraged! Maintain your sense that it helps you to look ahead, to look afar, to be on a quest in your life!

This Is My Quest -- No Matter How Far

AFTERNOON:

Where is your quest taking you? Are you looking afar? The song says "This is my quest ... no matter how hopeless, no matter how FAR."

If it doesn't matter how far, you may as well shoot the moon! It's hard to believe a quest that is a quest would be easy to arrive at.

But the key thing is not how far it is, only that you're aiming for it, actively, purposefully going that direction.

You're going to feel better to know that you believe in something, that you're on track, and fulfilling your destiny.

When I head out on a journey, I'm always thinking how long it's going to take. Have to stop for food, bathroom breaks, iced mochas.

Some people just want to get there, some people want to enjoy the journey. I'm a little of both, depending what there is to enjoy.

For a lot of our trips -- interstate travel -- it'd be great if they could come up with a pill to put you to sleep till you got there.

They say pilots of the major airlines can actually sleep along the way because the plane is programmed by a computer to fly itself!

It's a bad thing for pilots to sleep during flights, in my opinion, because then how will they be able to sleep in their hotels?

I don't wish that on anyone, being at the hotel, tossing and turning, suffering through a long night because you can't sleep.

But when you have a quest, and when you say "No matter how far," you're not necessarily talking about actual travel or distance.

It's a mental thing, a psychological thing in some cases, to aim high, aim far, expect great things of yourself and fulfill them.

I'm wishing you the greatest success for your quest, whatever it may be ... and however far it takes you!

My Quest -- No Matter How Hopeless

MORNING:

This is my quest, to follow that star, no matter how hopeless, no matter how far... Ah yes, that takes me back, a great old song!

It speaks to me still today -- "The Impossible Dream" -- because I don't know the meaning of the word. "Impossible?" Not in my vocabulary.

(Technically it's in my vocabulary. I've heard others use the word, but I myself don't.)

The key thing is -- There's a quest. I'm on a quest for something better...

We think of self-esteem and what all that means. One thing it doesn't mean is sitting on your duff, consumed with regrets.

There's a million and one regrets for what might've been -- I could've, should've, would've.

That'd be enough to weigh down anyone. And it's practically always self-inflicted, and a wound that is hard to heal.

Because it's an endless cycle of wasting away today, wasting away tomorrow, then looking back and saying I shouldn't have done it.

The time to say "I shouldn't have done it" is before you do it -- NOW! And look up, look out, look ahead, look anywhere but down or back.

And press on, with a fire in your heart. A quest in your mind and a quest in your heart. Think of what's out there, then go for it!

If you think it's impossible, go TWICE just to show 'em!

This Is My Quest

I'm thinking of that old song -- "Da da, the impossible dream da da, da da da da da da. This is my quest, to follow that star, no matter how hopeless, no matter how far..." And with that I go blank on the lyrics.

But it's a great song. If you're any kind of visionary it ought to be on your playlist. Then if you're up on a mountain or looking across at your first glimpse of the New World, you could play it and you'd be totally inspired.

I'm like that -- I like to have songs as kind of the soundtrack to my life. Just like we see it in the movies. The song never means more than when you hear it attached to characters, their predicaments and the resolution.

And what song would be better for a guy like me than "The Impossible Dream"? I've always been a dreamer, looking for what's just over the next horizon. I get tired dinking around with all the old horizons. I want more, newer, better ones! When they tell me it's impossible, that word to me is like "sic 'em" to a dog with a bone. I'll guard it and defend my own regardless of the cost. You don't tell me what's impossible, mister!

I'm always looking forward to something. And that's what keeps me going. Knowing that something might be just around the next corner, around the next bend, over the next hill, maybe that way, maybe the other way, try it and see.

I recommend it! It's all very nice. Life's an adventure, a quest for something. I left the old country and I didn't know where I was going, but I went. Then I get there -- let's say -- and I have to scrape around to make a living. I might be a fry cook in a sleazy, greasy dive. I've got a full body apron on.

Three weeks ago I was sitting on my own half acre looking for a quest. Three weeks later I'm in this dive. They're calling me Cookie. I'm an old guy who slaves over a griddle night and day. Then when it's quittin' time they pat me on the back and say "See ya tomorrow." But little do they know, this isn't what I was looking for exactly. So I hang up the apron, put my suit back on, and hit the road at midnight. My quest continues!

I've got the greatest self-esteem in the world because I'm not bogged down in what might've been, what could've been, the things of regrets. This is what I recommend. I'm forward looking, looking ahead, kicking every bush I come to for what might shake out. There's no time for feeling sorry for myself, no time for looking back. I've got to keep hoping, keep searching, pressing on toward tomorrow.

If you're down today -- cheer up, friend -- and see your life as a hopeful thing. There's a quest for everyone. And when you wear out the first one, there's another one waiting to take its place. They're endless. They're everywhere. There's a quest for you just over the next hill. Check it out.

Your life will never be the same! And that's a good thing.