In case you missed part II, you’ll find it here:
Bowling Alley Wisdom Part II: The Spare
Lesson #3: The Arrows
A bowling alley is simply a wooden lane, 60 feet long from the foul line to the head pin. It is 42 inches wide. When the bowler sets up to throw a ball, she first looks at the pins remaining and decides where the ball needs to make contact in order to have the best chance at knocking them down. Then, she uses the arrows, which are much closer, and decides how the ball needs to be thrown in order to hit the pins appropriately. The arrows serve as guides. The bowler actually aims at (or between) the arrows, NOT the pins.
In life, we have many sets of pins, many goals that we journey toward. When the goal is big, it usually requires that we move toward it in steps, with each step having its own focal point, or arrow, that we aim at. When our aim is too far down the road (or the alley!), many things can happen:
- our execution misses the mark
- we aren’t clear how to get there so we fail to act
- we waste a lot of energy going nowhere
So what are life’s “arrows”?
- the many small steps which, when navigated successfully, help us arrive at our goals
- those who have gone before us and offer wisdom which guides us
- our own intuition which can be a powerful guide when we pause to listen
What goal is too big for a single step?
What arrows have you missed?
What guidance is available?
What will you listen to?