Effort

 

     They say it is the first step that costs the effort. I do not find it so. I am sure I could write unlimited 'first chapters'. I have indeed written many. J. R. R. Tolkien

     Without effort, there can never be amazing results. Oh, you may get results, but it's doubtful that they will be what you really want. You must give it everything you have to build the life that you desire. See the world for all that it has to offer in vivid splendor. Embrace life rather than moving through it on autopilot. Sometimes we lose our way, sometimes we forget how spectacular this world is, and sometimes we go on autopilot to deal with trauma.

     We so often become complacent and stop making a serious effort. This can happen with work and with our personal relationships. We do what is good enough. We could do so much more. Life can yield so much joy, but not if we don't give it all that we have. We can lose the things that mean the most to us. I encourage you to give the things that mean the most to you a "saffron" effort. What is that?

     Saffron runs around $500 per ounce. It is the most precious spice. It takes around 150,000 Crocus flowers to make 2 pounds of saffron. It takes 40 hours to pick the flowers and it must be done by hand. People are bent over in fields reaching for each flower. It must require tremendous patience as well as a great effort. In our world of instant gratification and optimization, this almost seems ridiculous. The thing is, it's worth it. The return on the effort is great. Sometimes you should treat the things that mean the most to you in your life as if you were harvesting saffron.