We’ve all heard the saying that Rome wasn’t built in a day. But a lot of us, myself included, often act like it was.
In some shape or form, we all desire to be or attain something we hold to be “great” – our own version of the Roman Empire. This thing or things could pertain to finances, relationships, health, or anything else. Naturally, we all want to achieve this goal as soon as possible. And there’s nothing explicitly wrong with that.
The problem comes when it takes longer than we want it to. We run into various hiccups, setbacks, challenges of all sorts that delay the timeline we set up in our mind, and we get frustrated. Then through social media and other sources, we see our peers achieving, or at least seeming to achieve, the very things we apparently can’t, and get caught up in our own head about why things aren’t working for us. At this point we sometimes make excuses, even if only to comfort ourselves, and frequently falter in our labors. Too often, this downward spiral continues until the goal we sought has been dismissed and replaced by another, or to the point that we must effectively restart our strivings towards the aforementioned goal.
I’ve experienced this firsthand. And I’ve seen countless others undergo the same process. All because while we all know that Rome wasn’t built in a day, it’s rare that people actually understand the process it took for Rome to become, well, Rome. The same process it took for Michael Jordan to be Michael Jordan to be Michael Jordan. The same process it’s going to take us to achieve the greatness we seek.
I’m currently trying to not only understand this process, but to also enjoy it while being at peace with it. In my creative writing, my relationships, my spiritual life, and everything else, I’m working day and night to one day be an overnight.
‘Cause I’m done acting like Rome was built in a day.
– J.P.
