The Stonecutter’s Determination
Sometimes we do everything we can, but still feel like nothing is changing. Days go by, we work, we strive, we persevere, but there seems to be no progress. That’s when discouragement sets in. It is in such moments that Jacob Riis’ unforgettable anecdote comes to mind:
“When nothing seems to help, I go and look at a stonecutter
hammering away at his rock, perhaps a hundred times without as
much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the hundred and first
blow it will split in two, and I know it was not that last
blow that did it, but all that had gone before.”
The Power of the Hundred and First Blow
This saying tells us about the unseen side of effort. Success often seems like a miracle that comes suddenly. But in reality, behind that “final blow” are countless blows struck with patience and perseverance—that is, hard work.
The secret to success is to be patient and determined. Even if you get tired and don’t see results immediately, trust in the accumulation of the small steps you take every day. Because nothing is wasted. The final blow merely makes the invisible labor visible.
Ultimate Motivation
No Blow Is Wasted
Perhaps right now you are also chiseling away at a stone in your life. You have dreams, you are trying, but the stone is still there. You are bored, tired, and have even started to think, “Maybe it won’t happen.” But remember this: Every book you read, every honest confrontation with yourself, every small step you take, every time you try again after a failure… All of them leave a mark on the rock. You may not see it, but the rock is cracking from the inside out. And if you don’t give up, that rock will one day split in two exactly when it’s supposed to, exactly how it’s supposed to.
With Patience, Faith, and Determination
You who are reading this… Perhaps today you struck the hundredth blow. Don’t give up. Who knows, maybe tomorrow the hundred-and-first blow awaits you. Because success is never just in the final blow, but in the determination shown every day. It lies in the patience before the result, in the final step before giving up. The blow that breaks the stone is the result of determination forged through effort. And you possess that strength.
