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The Peter Panda Dance
3 steps forward, 2 steps back
Trent Buenzli
October 26, 2024
3 steps forward, 2 steps back. Quick, like a turtle, lie on your back!
I’ll never forget that jingle after watching Vin Diesel do The Peter Panda Dance in The Pacifier about 14 times over the course of my life (read: whenever it was on TV).
I know it wasn’t invented by the screenwriters. I know it’s a common cliche:
3 steps forward, 2 steps back
But I feel like this characterization of self-development is missing something…
I experience it more like:
3 steps forward, a hard left, followed by a quick right. Oh whoops - missed the exit! 2 steps back to get back on track… zig again, then zag back. Take another step forward. Ok, another. And another. Now RUN full-speed ahead!
Growth, to me, never feels like a straight line of forward motion paired with a light dose of backpedaling. I’m constantly bobbing & weaving through foreign terrain, as I traverse this path of self-discovery.
I often think I’ve got the route all mapped out, like a clear set of directions from Mapquest (woah… throwback!). But, in Reality, the journey is more akin to navigating city streets that are laden with unexpected traffic, unanticipated attractions, and heavy construction. I constantly have to adapt.
That element of surprise - that diversion from the path - is what makes it exciting in the moment and fun to reflect on in the end.
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