I put a lot of effort into making lunch yesterday. Something special to celebrate the kids being finished school for Christmas. However, it turned out to be a complete flop. Tasted terrible and no one liked it. Well, except for the dog, but he likes pretty much anything. When supper time came around, I was still quite glum about lunch, so minimal effort was made. And the results were spectular – it was a meal to remember, full of laughter and good tasting food.

Sometimes or perhaps often, the amount of effort we put it does not correlate with the results we get…in the short term.

Effort is like practice. We rarely see an immediate correlation. Often it is through the repetition of effort that results are achieved in the long term. The more I cook, the more I learn, and over time the better the results. But food, like many things, is not the only factor in creating a good meal. There are other factors at play – people, the atmosphere, and so on.

Change can be like this too. We put in a lot of effort for seemingly little results. Sometimes even the opposite results we desire. And yet, over time, when we take the long view, we see results we could not see in the short term.

Photo by amirali mirhashemian