Early in the space program NASA learned to begin assigning new projects to the astronauts before they launched on their primary mission. NASA had discovered that the enthusiasm, momentum, and sense of purpose the astronauts felt leading up to a mission disappeared upon mission accomplishment. The astronaut’s had nothing to look forward to after the mission and subsequently they dropped emotionally.
In the Navy there was a myth that career sailors had a way of dying within five years of retirement because they no longer had a sense of purpose. Another example of an emotional drop.
I’ve felt this drop many times in my life, and have been most conscious of it in my last relationship. As we were getting to know each other most of our interaction would be at clubs on Saturday night. Saturday night was the best night of the week for me. I was with a smart, sexy woman, and we were enjoying ourselves. Sundays were the worst. The party was over, and I wouldn’t get to spend time with my darling love for another week. This went on for several months and then suddenly I was living with her. I wouldn’t feel the drop again until we broke up.
It’s taken a couple of years to get over that drop, and I’ve learned to avoid the drop by having more than one thing to focus on and work towards in my life. When you’re sitting by the phone waiting for something to happen your mind will take you down all sorts of paths. Some of them may be ok, most of them will be paths of fear. Fear is the crux of the drop. You’re psyche will create its own data when presented with no data. The downfall of this for most people is that our psyche’s usually create negative data based upon fear. We are naturally afraid of the dark because we don’t know what’s out there.
Taking action of any kind will usually dispel this fear. Taking action of any kind will help build our confidence giving us courage to take more action.
So why am I writing about this now? For the past week or so I’ve been feeling that ugly drop because I’m in Arkansas. No it’s not Arkansas that’s causing the drop… Arkansas is a wonderful place. I’m feel this because during the twelve days that I took to get here I was on a wonderful adventure driving through some of the most beautiful countryside in America. Now I’ve arrived at my destination twenty days before my family reunion, and now I’m just waiting.
Waiting with very little to do. Very little to focus upon, and as a result I’ve been experiencing a bit of a drop. I had forgotten about this for a moment. I had forgotten to give myself a new assignment while I’m here in Fayetteville waiting for the reunion. Time to get back on track. Time to take action. Time to go do something cool, outrageous, adventurous, and fun.
Don’t let circumstances keep you in a funk like the drop. Take action, do something, anything, and then do something that will make a difference in your life. You control your own destiny. Learn out to take control and learn how to help others take control.