I marvel at the persistence required to write. To complete
a manuscript. To revise and revise. To submit and re-submit.
All this, against the odds it will be picked up for
publication. Then the odds that if it is, the book will succeed in the market
place.
I think about
dedication.
The most worthwhile moments of my life involved
dedication. I am not speaking of the most fun moments, or the most memorable. I
am speaking of what turned out to have long lasting value.
I read that J. S. Bach once walked four hundred and
twenty miles to see a performance by a composer he idolized, Buxtehude. What
dedication.
Was it a great performance? I don’t know. But the act
of seeking it tells of the dedication that makes someone like Bach.
14 comments:
A great observation that the things most worthwhile take dedication- like marriage and children. Speaking of which, mine is being awfully quiet...
Dedication and persistence are definitely major factors in keeping going in the writing world!
In this culture of flitting from one interest/fad to the next, I admire people who have the dedication to stick with the things that are important to them- be it raising a family, playing an instrument, writing, getting an advanced degree. And dedication, almost always, is paired with an understanding of delayed gratification. Those two go hand in hand and, in the end, are very satisfying. Great post.
It's tough sometimes to keep your head high in this industry. If you aren't dedicated, you'll never make it.
I'm finding all my worthwhile pursuits require more dedication than I imagined.
But more so, it is born of devotion. Robin LaFevers makes the distinction between discipline, dedication and devotion.
Dedication is not hard if the goal is rock solid like receiving a college degree in nursing or engineering. X will happen after Y, and the graduate will proceed into their profession.
But writing a book is blind hopeful dedication. The X of putting to page may never be followed by the Y of publication. Which makes me want to yell, "WHY???"
I just finished re-reading The Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. I find it so inspiring how it takes 10,000 hours to master something. There's the talent that is "just enough" to make the mark, then there's the additional time put into it to get to the 10,000 hour level. That's where dedication comes in!
If there's joy in the process, then the dedication is not so struggalous. Or if the goal is meaningful enough. But some worthwhile goals just do take lots of time and lots of hard work.
When you think of "dedicated" in its newest meaning -- "set aside for a single purpose," it's really food for thought.
I'm in need of some Dedication kick this week. Daunted by revision. Got some work done, but hopefully could get more nailed.
Now I'm wondering just how great Buxtehude must have been to warrant such devotion--and how odd it is that we know all about Bach today, but nothing about Buxtehude.
Yes, dedication--and the drive that makes it "stick"--is an amazing thing. I love the story about Bach. He is one of my favorites! Stop by my blog for a fun surprise! = )
So true! There is something about dedication and pure perseverance that is something to be commended and applauded. Thanks for that insight!
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