Every swordsmith will tell you: the story of the sword is in its making.
From the precious ore, pulled from the deep and dark places of the earth, to the sifting and purification; from the heating, hammering, and painstaking folding, to the meticulous sharpening and obsessive polishing—the blade’s tale is not in the first cut or final thrust: it is in the way it was made, from ingot to inlay, from pommel to tip.
The true tale of the weightlifting personal best, the upping of repetitions, the beaten time trial or completion of a race, the stretching of stamina and the increasing of endurance, the rehabilitation of of an injury, or the cultivation of discipline is not in the final weight that is being lifted or pushed, the impressive number of completed sets, the stopwatch’s final record, the crossing of a finish line, the revitalisation of forgotten muscles, or the discovery of dedication. It is, rather, in the lightweights that were hard to move in the beginning, the first painful movements that discouraged carrying on, the short distances that took the longest time to traverse, the shortness of breath and fast approach of fatigue, the stiff and sore joints, and the first attempts at maintaining consistency.
For the consummate fitness practitioner, the journey is the destination—a constant state of commencement and departure, of starting out and continuing, of moving onwards, upwards, sideways, and, sometimes backwards when necessary.
There is no magic mountaintop, no done-and-dusted moment. There is only each workout which must be approached with discipline and focus; each training program which needs to be followed with temperance; milestones that require strength to be overcome; and far-off goal that requires perseverance and hope in order to be pursued.
When the journey is the destination, each step—however small or slow—is not a countdown to arrival. Rather, it is a savouring of every effort and struggle.
This truth is universal: the value of the thing is found in the numerous small steps or complex processes needed to bring it into existence. The great expenditure of skill, time, and craft are hidden and not told in the price tag of the smooth, sharp, and flawless blade.
— The Results Are In The Journey —
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Design: Rémy Ngamije, 2023.
Rémy Ngamije is an award-winning Rwandan-born Namibian author, editor, publisher, photographer, literary educator, and entrepreneur. He is the founder of The Forge.