I consulted my BLOGWORTHY file this morning for inspiration. I often rip out articles from magazines and newspapers I read and tuck them into a file folder for future use. (I’m giving away my demographic, eh?) As I was thumbing through that collection checking for resonance, the one that jumped out at me was an article by Michael Lewis from O Magazine, the June 2009 issue. It was a piece on parenting. The sentence I underlined read, “We’re all just groping, then lying about it afterward.”

Yup, all those parents who claimed their children slept through every night and who never encountered sibling rivalry among their offspring. I was never able to make those claims because me and lying aren’t compatible.

I hear parallel claims today in my entrepreneurial sphere. Business owners I meet who are “having their best year ever” and whose phones are ringing off the hook. That may or may not be true. I don’t actually care whether it is or not, nor do I compare myself to their assertions. Time has a way of outing impostors, so it’s not up to me to challenge anyone else’s claim.

What I loved about this line was what Lewis exposes about us all (when we’re being totally honest). We’re all just groping. The more creative and persistent that groping is, the more successful we’re likely to become. Once again, it comes down to feeling good enough about yourself in the day to choose what methods you’ll pick today. In the good ole days it was going after the low-hanging fruit. Now, it’s planting the seeds, or figuring out which land to stake out your new garden in.

This is an entry of optimism and encouragement. I say, “grope away” and put any face on it you need to in order to keep groping tomorrow.