In the book “Outliers” Malcolm Gladwell talks about the dedication to perfecting a craft that is required to become the best at something. He gives the example of musicians and athletes and shows how those who have risen to a certain degree of accomplishment all have one thing in common: an extended period of unwavering pursuit. 10,000 hours of practice is what it takes, he says, to rise above the competition.
What if we applied this to our pursuit of holiness? What if we practiced being holy with the same mindset an athlete applies to his sport? What would be the outcome?
We have plenty examples of men and women who did just that. Some of them we call
“saints”. Those who have been canonized are meant to be examples to follow. We should be imitators of them just as they were imitators of Christ. But how did they do it? Did they become saints overnight? Maybe a few did, like St Paul, who became a saint in the time it took for him to fall from his horse to the ground. But most are not that fortunate. Most spend their entire lifetime striving towards a goal that is ultimately unattainable on our own, but one which they know they will achieve with the grace of God if only they put forth the effort. If only they patiently endure the countless hours of “practice”.
What does “practice” look like for someone striving to become a saint? It is unique for each individual, but in general, it is the process of cleansing, purifying, and strengthening that is necessary to build character. And not just any character, but the right character. The character of Jesus Christ.
Look at Jesus himself as an example. Why did he wait until he was thirty years old before he began his public ministry? He was waiting for his “hour” to come, yes, but what was delaying the hour? Maybe he needed 10,000 to pass before the right one would arrive. Or maybe, seeing how He was fully God and fully man, he didn’t need the 10,000 hours himself, but wanted to set an example of patient endurance in his waiting, to show us that, just because we spend the large majority of our lives in the quiet, uneventful, mundane, and monotonous drudgery of the world, it doesn’t mean we aren’t preparing for something magnificent. It doesn’t mean we can’t be working towards something truly spectacular. Something awe-inspiring.
An elite athlete may spend 10,000 hours alone in a gym shooting free throws before he has the opportunity to take the game-winning shot. A violinist may practice in her room for 10,000 hours to prepare for playing her solo on the big stage. So too, a saint may spend 10,000 hours chasing his children around before he’s patient enough to chase after God’s lost sheep.
My encouragement is to look at every trial in life as “practice”, to be patient, to persist, to put forth the effort necessary to grow in virtue, knowing you will not reach the goal or win the crown in a single day, or through a single act, but rather, you will attain that which you seek through countless hours of perseverance. My hope is that with this mindset we will all view the difficulties of life through a new lens. A lens that brings joy out of suffering. A lens that sees hardship as something that builds us up, instead of tearing us down. A lens that sees strength in the weak, power in the lowly, adventure in the mundane, excitement in the tedious, and life in the daily remembrance of our death.
Pick up your cross, carry it as long as you must, 10,000 hours if necessary, and one day it will carry you to heaven.
Written by: Matthew Giardina