Trust the Process
For several years, the Philadelphia 76ers were the worst team in the NBA. They intentionally created the worst possible lineups and stockpiled draft picks to maximize the potential that they would draft great talent. The worse they performed, the earlier they would get to pick who they wanted on their team from the NBA Draft. Throughout this time period, fans endured their favorite team being perennially terrible, unsure if there would be a payoff for all of their suffering. A phrase emerged that became the motto for the entire franchise during their struggles:“trustthe process.” At that time, it was a rare source of solace in painful seasons of losses. Now, it’s a rallying cry, as the 76ers have morphed into championship contenders and one of the most exciting teams in the NBA. The process is no longer some intangible hope, but instead a holy entity that may have saved Philadelphia from mediocrity. But maybe, it can be more than that.
I started to think about process in my own life. I’ve been meditating every day for the last few weeks and I’ve noticed that I’ve started to feel better generally. I feel more self-aware and that I can better understand and deal with my emotions when they bubble up. I still am very far from being a levitating monk that can disappear into mindfulness for hours, but that’s okay. Throughout the guided meditations, Andy from Headspace constantly reminds me that meditating is difficult and that it’s okay if I’m not able to focus on my breath the entire time or if I don’t let every thought go. He always reminds me that it will get easier with time. In other words, Andy tells me to trust the process.
With every part of growing and learning and becoming a better person, it’s difficult to stay motivated when the basis of improvement is often repetitive tasks. I want to become a better illustrator, but drawing every day is such a drag. I want to learn how to play the guitar but playing scales is so boring. Ultimately, meaningful growthis based on finding a process and falling in love with it. Trusting it. When I think about all of the things that I’ve become at least competent at, I realize that they’re all just areas that I enjoyed practicing. I became good at writing because I enjoyed writing every single day for a hundred days, and then weekly. I became good at illustrating because I enjoyed making illustrations. And even when I didn’t enjoy practicing, I had already built such a strong belief in the process that I couldn’t give up on it. I had to keep going.
So if you’re feeling lost or unmotivated, maybe all you need to do is find a direction and some steps to work with and trust that they’ll lead you in the way. A process of sorts.
Drops of the Week
where I *drop* recommendations of cool things this week
Article
"Teens Are Protesting In-Class Presentations” by Taylor Lorenz- interesting article about how teens are using social media to protest in-class presentations and making some headway. With anxiety recently becoming the most common mental illness and a greater emphasis on non-verbal communication for Gen Z, it’s not unusual that students struggle with these sorts of assignments. The control that these teens can have on their education is impressive for sure though.
Book
The Old Man and the Seaby Ernest Hemingway- read this entire book in a single day. Hemingway tells an epic story about a man who is more than a man, and his fight against nature itself. Beautifully romantic in a way that I just adore.
Playlist
Bossa Nova- this is a playlist made by Spotify that has exclusively Bossa Nova, a Brazilian fusion of samba and jazz that is incredibly relaxing to listen to. I recommend it for some easily listening every once in a while.
Thanks so much for reading! If you have any comments/concerns or fan/hate mail for me, you know how to reach me (links below).
Love,
Nikhil