Commitment made all the difference

CHERRIL DOTY

“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy ...”

-- W.H. MURRAY

Standing at the railing at Crescent Bay Point in morning fog, I am

lost in thought. The heavy gray air seems to have, for the moment at

least, pushed away the world of linear time. As I watch pelicans

glide and rise over the water, something in me goes right along. My

mind glides through thoughts of the past and rises with hopes for the

future. Murray’s quote about commitment appears in my mind ... and I

think of Josh.

“Josh” is my friend, Joshua Hoy -- a most remarkable young man. He

so embodies this quote from W. H. Murray that I would like to share

some of what I know of Josh with you, my readers.

Never before in history has so much opportunity to imagine and

realize possibilities, hopes, and dreams been available to so many.

And still we have people who are disillusioned by their own failure

to achieve their goals and fulfill their dreams. What is it that

makes one person successful while another is frustrated and

ineffective? Can it be, as Murray suggests, about commitment? This is

where Joshua B.C. Hoy comes in.

Just a few short years ago Josh and I first spoke of his desire to

deepen his own commitment to art and becoming an artist through a

return to school for further study. Even with a lifetime of chasing

after his Muse, this would be a big lifestyle change for him and I

wondered if, in fact, he had any of the aforementioned hesitancy.

This endeavor would be a bold move.

One thing Josh and I have in common is a tendency to ask some of

the hard, thought-provoking questions. Josh actually answers them as

well. I remember posing some that day and, as usual, getting answers

to the queries he could answer and a promise to think on the ones

that at the time he could not yet answer. I knew that he would. Josh

has integrity. He also is honest, real, open, present and much, much

more. But I digress.

What I discovered that day was that although he certainly did not

have all the answers Josh had a consistent commitment that allowed

for no hesitation. He was going in!

The moment one definitely commits oneself ... a whole stream of

events issues from the decision ....Murray could have been speaking

straight to Josh. A stream of events has certainly followed that one

decision that none of us could have foreseen. The upshot of all this

is that at this juncture Josh is living his dream. Finished with his

formal schooling, he set out to apprentice himself and learn still

more. No hesitation seems to appear on his path. He continues with

his incredible journey.

Along the way there have been trials as well as incidents in his

favor. He was persistent. Along the way of his chosen path he was

presented with challenges and obstacles. Along the way he was given

unexpected support in unusual forms. One such was when his sensei

encouraged him to become who he is -- the “keeper of inspirational

moments.” The commitment continued.

This brings us back to now. Tomorrow night -- Saturday, Sept. 27

from 6 to 9 p.m. -- there will be an unveiling of a new figurative

work by the young and talented sculptor Joshua B.C. Hoy at the Laguna

Art Museum. The piece is called “Sentience” and the postcard photo

announcement is titillating to say the very least. In the photo only

the hand and forearm of the figure can be seen, but in the poised

fingertips there is such a provocative sense of feeling, of realized

emotion, that I am stunned each time I look at it. This in itself is

a kind of success.

So what makes one person successful at living out dreams while

another is suffering disillusionment? While it takes a lot of other

things to be a success -- talent not least among them in the case of

an artist -- full commitment without hesitation is a large part of

it. Providence is on the move in that “stream of events.” I think

that if you are a collector of art, you had better be at the Laguna

Art Museum tomorrow night with checkbook in hand, for Joshua B.C. Hoy

IS going to be a success. Count on it!

* CHERRIL DOTY is a creative living coach, writer, artist, and

walker who lives and works in Laguna Beach. Contact her by e-mail at

coach@cherrildoty.com or by phone at (949) 251-3993. Your comments

are appreciated.