The Great People [Poem]

Ah, how I desire so desperately to be like The Great People!
You all know who I mean.
They’re the leaders, poets and teachers people are inspired by in life,
or maybe have even met and remembered in your own life.
Each of them is like a projection of who I want - no - who I know I can be!

With the wise words of so many Great People passing through my mind,
how could I ever not reach The Goal?
Yeah, How could I ever go wrong?
I’m armed with a quote for every battle and a saying for every situation.
Yeah, bring it on world!

……

…………………..

Why oh why, after all this striving, am I not like them?
After all that I still fail and my willpower still falters! My mind still wavers and my heart still quivers!
Could it be I've collected more motivational sayings than actual motivation?
Or is The Goal only for people made of stronger stuff than I?

Frustration fills my every pore!!
The Great People make walking The Path and reaching The Goal seem so easy!
What is it that makes them so Great, and me so Small?
Why oh why can’t I do it?!

The Goal always remains perpetually out of reach, like a dog chasing a car!
Whatever tower I build to reach that mythic goal collapses under its own weight,
sending me back down to this dreary Earth.
But in my mind's eye, I can still see The Great People there,
frozen in time and towering over the rest of us, the Small People, like a shadow.

But still, I will not surrender! Never, never, never!
Not to the overwhelming forces of distraction, laziness, and despair!!
Not to the apparent might of my weaknesses!
In fact, bring it on!
I will strive on  until I am absolutely intoxicated with ambition and motivation!!

.……

…………………..

After having exerted every last bit of effort I had left!
I looked back at my progress on The Path and was delighted.
Then I looked ahead and saw that the Goal was still on the horizon, and was yet more delighted.
I had finally realized that I would never reach The Goal. It was never the point.
Walking The Path was the point. The Path was the real goal.
The Great People knew this too. What is the point of completing an objective, and then stopping?
Truly, staying still is falling behind.
I laughed at myself, then took a deep breath… and strove on again!