Long pass draw sweat; short-cut draw blood. While this proverb is a warning for the risks involved in taking a shorter route for a literal journey. We can also apply this proverb to our lives; how we conduct ourselves and the pursuit of our goals and dreams. Taking a short-cut may yield less than ideal results and leave you feeling dissatisfied or worse. The long route involves more time and requires patience but the results could leave you feeling very satisfied and pleased with yourself. This proverb highlights the choices we make when it comes to the path we take for our lives. The prevailing sentiment is to “get rich quick” or to go “viral”. The microwave mentality encourages the mindset that we should get what we want; when we want it – which is now!
If we were to believe Social Media; overnight successes occur daily; when the truth is an overnight success is actually decades in the making! The benefit of the journey is not just the destination but the experiences you gain and the memories you create on the journey itself. The long pass; prepares you for the destination. Similarly as you actively pursue your goals; the experiences and the lessons prepare you for the accomplishment of that goal. You adapt, you grow, and you become the person who can handle the success that comes your way. We have an abundance of examples of people who have a meteoric rise to fame; and they burn out just as quickly. The attention and the popularity is too much to handle. They are ill-equipped to manage all the responsibilities, challenges and expectations that come with rising too quickly.
The long pass doesn’t sound sexy at all; it sounds hard and grueling. Challenges and obstacles abound; the journey has twists and turns, hills and valleys but this is what makes getting to the destination so rewarding. Achieving the success; feels so satisfying because of all you’ve had to overcome. “The journey is never ending. There’s always gonna be growth, improvement, adversity; you just gotta take it all in and do what’s right, continue to live in the moment.” – Antonio Brown
As you travel your individual path. If the advantages outweigh the risks and you have done your due diligence then by all means take the short cut. As long as you are not succumbing to the temptation of the “microwave mentality”. In all you do exercise wisdom, discernment, good judgement and remember it’s just as much about the journey as it is the destination.
Photo by Patrick Fore on Unsplash
Photo by Jacek Dylag on Unsplash
The Perspective Matters 