“…drops wear down the stone not by strength but by constant falling.”
The Study of Counterpoint from Johann Joseph Fux’s Gradus Ad Parnassum Translated and Edited by Alfred Mann (p.48)
For anyone who has dabbled in European counterpoint, you may be familiar with this quote from the 17th-18th century Austrian composer Johann Joseph Fux. If not, then no matter, for in this case, the words are more important than their context.
Persistence is the name of the game.
It is an idea that I keep hearing over and over again—that the people who ‘make it’ are the ones who keep going. I have even explored this idea a bit in one of my previous posts. As with any piece of wisdom, it often requires plenty of repetition before it starts to sink in—at least in my case.
Moreover, such ideas tend to provide little comfort in the midst of striving to reach the peak of our own Parnassus. Yet, we carry on, for what other choice do we possess? There is, however, something in this quote in particular that does offer some encouragement… even a little perspective.
Think of the scale of a single drop of water. Though a universe to an amoeba, to us, a drop of water is among the tiniest of things. And yet, aim enough of them at a single target, and those tiny things can carve mountains—reshape the very earth on which we live.
So today I share this quote as an offering to those interested and as a reminder to myself that even the tiniest actions can add up to the most monumental outcomes.
Be well and see you on the next one!
And if you are looking for some music to enhance your journey, you may enjoy my most recent release, available in the links below: