An Accidental Lesson I'm Glad I Learned Today

Sometimes, simple actions lead to deep insights

Photo by Dan Edwards on Unsplash

I live on a farm on the outskirts of Cape Town and autumn is in full swing. The nights are getting longer, the air is getting colder, and winter is around the corner.

Some of my favourite things to do in winter are take hot baths and snuggle up by the fire with my girlfriend and ginger cat.

While the first can be spontaneous, the latter needs some preparation. So, over the last few weeks, I’ve slowly been gathering wood to cut, chop, and store away.

With a mega storm about to hit the Western Cape over the weekend, I thought I’d better get a head start before everything gets too wet.

I’m writing to you now after just finishing up because I feel inspired to share an accidental lesson I learned during the process.

As I was sawing away at each fresh cut, a thought occurred to me: each stroke doesn’t amount to much but 100 strokes get the job done.

That thought got me thinking about the power of consistent action and the need for small daily habits.

I’ve heard numerous times over the years that consistency is king and habits are everything. I’ve personally experienced this with my three years of writing online and showing up to my daily breathwork practice.

But what I loved about today was that the message came in a very embodied way. If I did one stroke I didn’t get very far. It was consistently cutting along the same line 100 times that made all the difference.

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As I continued to cut away, I saw how this philosophy applies to other areas of life too.

A single set of 50 push-ups won’t lead to anything special - but 50 push-ups a day for a year might.

A 5k run won’t get you into shape - but three 5k runs a week might.

Writing online once won’t get you much recognition - but writing every day for a year might.

Going on one date with a new lover won’t lead to a lifelong relationship - but showing every day for each other might.

… and on and on it goes.

I didn’t expect to have these thoughts today, least share them with you. But I love that about inspiration. It lurks around unexpected corners and seemingly appears out of thin air - then creeps its way into the mind and heart with an urgency to express itself.

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To close, I’d like to leave you with a Zen proverb that’s fitting to my story. I was reminded of it as I sat down to write. It goes like this:

“Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water.”

Sometimes life doesn’t need to be any more complicated than that.