\"The Tedium of the Blossoming\"
Maria Popova learned some lessons in the seven years of writing she’s done for Brain Pickings. This one stood out for me:
“Expect anything worthwhile to take a long time.”
As I’ve reflected elsewhere, the flower doesn’t go from bud to blossom in one spritely burst and yet, as a culture, we’re disinterested in the tedium of the blossoming. But that’s where all the real magic unfolds in the making of one’s character and destiny.
Day in and day out, we’re in this process of becoming something more. We’re working on a project or ourselves and aiming for something we want to be. But the tedium of each day and each step is who we are and it’s on us to set the pace so we don’t burn out along the way. That tedium can take us to better things but it’s going to take a while. It’s one arduous word, one perfect pixel, one painful bug fix at a time when all you want to do is to go outside.
But like Maria has learned, the magic is in those struggles. And when you’re struggling to work through something that’s human and humbling or technical and defeating so that you can get somewhere you think you should be, you’re fulfilling your wants of progress just by getting through each day.