An Aphorism

This semester I have been prepping for my candidacy exams, which entails a lot of reading, synthesizing, outlining, and then more reading, etc. etc. It has been challenging for me because I don't have any classes to attend, so there aren't any assignments and deadlines--two things that keep me motivated and working. Instead, it's a lot of independent work that requires self-discipline. I keep thinking that if this exam preparation was all that I had to do, I would be killing it! Alas, it's not, and life often pulls me in different directions.

Last week, I was having a moment of fatigue? frustration? despondency? I'm not really sure how to name it, but it was a combination of those things. It stemmed from the fact that I was unsure whether my self-imposed deadlines were attainable at my current work pace. 

But, it's funny how sometimes you see things at just the right moment. Despite all of my academic reading, I still make time to read for pleasure. I just have to--it's one of my greatest delights in life! Anyway, I started reading The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose (the sequel to The Maid for those who have read it!) and within the first few pages, I came across something that I really needed to hear. The main character, Molly, remembers some advice that her Gran gave her: "Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end."

Perhaps this little aphorism was more of a comfort to me than a delight, but either way it made me feel better. It reminded me that I am in the midst of a really big process right now, and even if things feel uncertain and not okay at this moment, all of this will come to a conclusion eventually.

After this aphorism lifted me up, I also had a meeting with a couple of my professors, and I felt buoyed once again. Talking through my work with smart and encouraging people always feels like a delight and brings me renewed energy.

This work is difficult, but I am grateful to be doing it, and I feel especially privileged to work with such amazing faculty members at Ohio State. And, as another reminder to myself, I will end with another aphorism from Teddy Roosevelt: "Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty."