I would like to believe that everyone loves a good celebration. The sheer joy expressed on people’s faces is a sight to behold. Creativity is somehow birthed out of those experiences. Folks fellowship with each other, making room for shared and beautiful memories. Good times with good people are not easily forgotten. On the flip side, we often go through bad experiences and we possibly do not wish that on anyone. Grieving the loss of a loved one will bring severe anguish. A life-changing medical diagnosis may cause a friend to be distant. The ending of a meaningful marriage may cause persons to not believe in love again. We shed more than tears in these moments because the hurt is not the only thing experienced.

On this journey, we encounter ups and downs like a sinusoidal wave. After all, it’s life. That’s what some of my closest friends would say. However, I believe that there is a third component we do not often speak of. I call them the plateaus. These are little pockets where there is little or no change. One does not see differences because of how seemingly insignificant they might be. It could be a case of being at your job. This vocation does pay the bills and you can afford to live comfortably. Still, something is missing. It seems there is nothing major to celebrate, nor there is anything massive to grieve over. You’re just there – in stillness, experiencing life in the mundane. It’s bland like chicken seasoned with only salt and pepper. 

I feel as though these times are often despised mainly because we are conditioned to believe things need to be happening for us at all times. We compare ourselves with others and feel inferior. While we desire that life would hand us mainly mountaintop experiences, I’ve learnt that a very active life can cause one to be tired easily. Also, constant moments of adversity and disappointments can cause one to be bitter. Maybe the mundane is not so bad. It’s all about perspective, I guess. 

Now, this is not a call for us to get complacent and comfortable in the rut. Rather, it’s a call not to hate it, but use it to our advantage. We can learn many lessons about ourselves and others during this time. I like to compare it to the weight loss journey. At some point when one is losing weight, he/she will hit a plateau. It seems as if all efforts are in vain. What’s the point if you cannot see the progress on the scale, right? Wrong. There are other aspects of weight loss one can look at. Are you more energized? What is your stamina like? Are you building muscle? Are you forming good habits? What are your sleeping patterns like now that you are exercising? Are you eating well? If we only look at one section of the process, we will not pay attention to the big picture. Weight loss experts admonish folks who hit a plateau to keep going. The end goal will come. Besides, it would not make sense to undo all the work you’ve put in.

Likewise, please do not undo all the hard work you have done. Keep pushing in the mundane. Enjoy the process. Develop your character. Appreciate the little things that you would not normally see or hear. Rest and rest again. Learn and grow. It’s worth living.

^{Photo by Anna Might (IG:@annamighttakepics)}