All Things Are Difficult Until They Are Easy

Occasionally when I walk through the quiet shop early in the morning a product strikes me in an unexpected way as though I’m looking at it for the first time.  Sometimes it is seared onto my brain for days.

Today the above Vintage Dictionary Art wall hanging figuratively jumped off the shelf at me.  It re-surfaced in my thinking several times throughout the day.  A quick Google search credits this statement to Thomas Fuller, a British clergyman and writer in the 1600’s.

I found myself thinking about the statement. And thinking back in time.  And then way back. Then daydreaming about what if.

I’m sure it used to be difficult to stand, crawl, walk, speak and except for a rough few years with an RA flare up, I don’t think twice about any of those actions.  It used to be difficult to back a vehicle into a parking space or garage; now I’m proud to say I’m pretty darn good at and no longer break into a sweat.  It used to be difficult to make cream puffs as good as Grandma Patterson could.  I haven’t made them in years and don’t like to eat wheat or large amounts of sugar but gosh they sound pretty tasty at this moment.  I may need to whip (and whip and whip) up a batch to see if I still have the touch.

So, the statement is obviously accurate and maybe even simplistic.  It even conjures up that other goodie ‘practice makes perfect’.  I started thinking about those things that frustrated me because they were too challenging.  What if I hadn’t given up on playing the guitar?  What if I had continued to ice skate? What if I’d mastered public speaking?  kept jogging?

Would my life be any different?  Would guitar playing eventually have been easy and if so would I have a comfortable hobby to be appreciated by friends and family or would I have landed a radically different profession?

I’ll continue to ponder Mr. Fuller’s statement for some time I suspect.   Hopefully with an enduring commitment to be patient with myself as I learn new things.  More importantly I choose to commit to be more patient and helpful as I’m teaching others new skills because despite the fact those tasks are now easy for me, there was a time they were difficult.  And, besides perhaps those persons play guitar at family gatherings.