Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Dedication


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:

Leandra Wallace said...

A great observation that the things most worthwhile take dedication- like marriage and children. Speaking of which, mine is being awfully quiet...

Ann Herrick said...

Dedication and persistence are definitely major factors in keeping going in the writing world!

Anonymous said...

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.

Kelly Hashway said...

It's tough sometimes to keep your head high in this industry. If you aren't dedicated, you'll never make it.

Katie L. Carroll said...

I'm finding all my worthwhile pursuits require more dedication than I imagined.

Vijaya said...

But more so, it is born of devotion. Robin LaFevers makes the distinction between discipline, dedication and devotion.

Anonymous said...

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???"

Karen Jones Gowen said...

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!

Evelyn said...

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.

Marcia said...

When you think of "dedicated" in its newest meaning -- "set aside for a single purpose," it's really food for thought.

Yanting Gueh said...

I'm in need of some Dedication kick this week. Daunted by revision. Got some work done, but hopefully could get more nailed.

Mary Witzl said...

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.

Becky Shillington said...

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! = )

Christina Farley said...

So true! There is something about dedication and pure perseverance that is something to be commended and applauded. Thanks for that insight!