The embers are there
There were just a few little red embers in the morning. Not enough to fend off the cold. I opened the door to the combustion heater to let the air flow.
It took time, but the little ember glowed brighter and brighter, and soon there were coals in there. Tiny flames hungry for furl. The small twigs and leave quickly sparked. The thin branches took no time to turn yellow with fire. I build a tower of logs around the small fledgling pile of flames and closed the door.
The flames licked up the rough edges and splintered sides of those logs were quickly smoother over by the heat.
Now the whole thing glows, read and warmth is radiating through the room. The frosty mornings are long, with the little ones waking before sunrise. My daughter likes to draw and colour and read so, sometimes, I have space to think and let my mind wander. I watched the fire his morning. Like all my ancestors, i sat and watch the flames, mesmerised, and contemplated my situation.
The world wants you to think there is something you're not doing. That there is more you can do and that your goals are just on the other side of your laziness. Transformation videos have you thinking weight loss is quick and easy. Time lapse will have you thinking that landscaping your backyard will take an afternoon. We're bombarded with what other people have already done. It celebrates the completed and skips the process.
I think about my goals. The big plans and dreams I have and how right now those things are so out of reach.
Some 25-year-old with no kids or responsibilities telling me to do more is not helpful. But falling in love with the process feels approachable.
"Stop longing. You poison today's ease, reaching always for tomorrow."
Robin Hobb's books are filled with wisdom that can be applied to many of life's woes.
Of course, I want my goals to be completed. That feeling of accomplishment is overwhelming and worth striving for. However, finding that feeling in the daily tasks is the goal. Focus on today and only today, do the little things that build up.
The embers are there, they just need air and fuel.