The Sunday Sessions: 5.6.18 Edition

Sunday is traditionally a day in which we slow down, take time for reflection, and recharge. Every Sunday, I will share a poem, excerpt, or thought that will make us think, wonder, or even laugh as we prepare ourselves for the upcoming week.

I May, I Might, I Must

by Marianne Moore

Due to copyright laws, you can access the poem at https://www.poetrynook.com/poem/i-may-i-might-i-must

Question of the Week

In Marianne Moore’s poem, she talks about crossing a fen. What is a fen? I didn’t know, either, so I looked it up. A fen is a marshy wetland.

Now that we know what a fen is, we can clearly understand the determination Moore exhibited in her poem. Doing the math, she wrote the poem when she was 22. It’s easy to have that level of confidence and determination when you’re 22. But what about when you’re 32? Or 42? Or 52? When you’ve seen what the real world is actually like and know that accomplishing a challenging goal is more difficult than merely being determined to achieve it?

It’s as easy to be determined when you’re 22 as it is to be defeated when you’re 32. So many people let their years of experience wear them down instead of using them to their advantage. This poem reminds me of something Marie Forleo, an entrepreneur and host of MarieTV, says, “Everything is figureoutable.” When tasked with a challenge, use that experience you’ve earned to your advantage. You already know what doesn’t work, so now you can focus on finding a solution that will work.

What obstacle has been befuddling you? What do know doesn’t work? What can you try next to figure out a solution?