Is Greatness worth the price?

“There was a time when I thought flying was everything. When I thought Mars was everything.” Emma Green, Commander of first Mars Mission, Away (Netflix)

I’ve been whirling around the notion of success for a few years now. I, like Commander Green, had been very focused on a narrow definition of success. Of a life well-lived. Of leaving a legacy. Which in my case meant becoming very famous and very rich doing good through my creativity—think J.K. Rowling, Meryl Streep, and Annie Lennox, depending upon which goal I was working towards.

But living the dream can come with unforeseen sacrifices. Sacrifices that you may decide aren’t worth it after all. Though usually it’s too late to change course by then.

 In Emma’s case, as she speeds to Mars, her family endures a series of life-altering events. And for the first time, she feels the cost of her achievement. She tells her daughter that “I had no idea how much more there was [besides Mars.] How much more there could be.” It’s too late of course, but she’s doubting if the cost is worth the prize.

And she’s one of the lucky ones! She got her dream. Her husband, who inherited a neurological disorder that derailed his space career, wasn’t so lucky. But his loss is Emma’s gain. He’s made it his mission to make her life as easy as possible on Earth, including being a very involved dad. Another lucky break for Emma.

Still, being miles away has stuck Emma on the sideline of her Earth life, and she doesn’t like it one bit.

All this has me pondering my own dream: becoming a multi-published kid author who makes a real difference in the world. A career in the arts is never a straight line so one person’s success path doesn’t look like anyone else’s. That being said, it’s universally agreed that your butt in chair for hours a day is a good way to finish writing a book.

This weekend I had more time than usual to put my butt in the chair, but I made a different choice. I chose to be social in a way I haven’t been for months. And due to Covid, I had to do it all outside, which meant my allergies made it necessary for me to recover afterwards, which took more time away from writing.

Though if I’m being honest in my case it’s butt in bed. :-)

My first impulse was to castigate myself for my choices. How dare I see friends and spend time with my husband instead of writing? I do have friends who eschew everything, even professional development, when they are working on a book. (The exception is their kids/spouse, but not always.)

Granted these are peeps who are getting paid to write and have an actual deadline. I’m guessing that makes the sacrifices easier, but at the end of the day will they/we think missing out on special occasions or fun/connected moments with friends/family/colleagues was worth it? And if your dreams aren’t realized, will the sacrifices be worth it?

The way I’ve chosen to deal with all of this uncertainty is to strive for a balanced life as much as possible. I’ll never know if balance will cost me my dream, or slow it down, or not affect it at all.

 But what I do know is that I’ll have a lot more moments to take with me wherever I go…even if it’s to Mars.

 How do you define success? What have you given up for it? What do you refuse to give up? What does balance look like for you?

Rad Resource from the Library: If you haven’t gotten a library card yet, what are you waiting for? It’s free and puts a world of neat stuff at your fingertips! (Not to mention the kids in your life too.)

YouTube video of the week: An exploration into what really may happen once we arrive on the red planet. Click the image to enjoy.