The Master said,

“Do not be concerned that you have no position,
be concerned that you have what it takes to merit a position.

Do not be concerned that no one recognizes you,
seek that which is worthy of recognition.”

Analects of Confucius - Book 4, Chapter 5
(Translated by Robert Eno)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I was reading something this morning about the perception of time and patience. This aligned with my reflection on a decade of honing the craft of writing that led up to the book I just launched over the weekend.

I remember when I was gifted my first journal that sparked the habit of recording thoughts and dreams and quotes from readings. How that snowballed into putting out an artistic creation into the public eye has been quite the journey. I know how much time and effort has gone into that process, but in the eyes of others, my name as an author falls under the category of Nobodies. After ten years of hard work, I am just now starting at ground zero.

This quote by Confucius is a good reminder not to concern ourselves with being recognized by others, but to first concern ourselves with being worthy of recognition. Of course everyone who strives for success hopes it will emerge overnight, but the reality is that supreme patience must be summoned. (An insight that came out of the float tank once was, “There’s patience, and then there’s PATIENCE.”)

As Robert Greene says in The Daily Laws, “Never seem to be in a hurry--hurrying betrays a lack of control over yourself, and over time. Always seem patient, as if you know that everything will come to you eventually. [...] Learn to stand back when the time is not yet ripe, and to strike fiercely when it has reached fruition.”

Looking back on the work I’ve put in over the last ten years it seems like it’s gone by in a flash. Now I look forward to what I can build in the next ten years from now.