WEBVTT - Second Cup: Magic happens in the mushy middle

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning.

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<v Speaker 1>This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's

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<v Speaker 1>tip is that magic happens in the mushy middle. With

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<v Speaker 1>any long term project or habit, motivation can dip when

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<v Speaker 1>both the starting line and the finish line are not

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<v Speaker 1>in sight. But I have found that magic often happens

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<v Speaker 1>in the in between places. It is best to be

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<v Speaker 1>there for it. Longtime listeners know that I am a

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<v Speaker 1>big fan of year long projects. This particular year, I

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<v Speaker 1>am listening to all the works of Bach. I am

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<v Speaker 1>also writing a sonnet every week at the rate of

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<v Speaker 1>two lines per day. This episode is first airing in July,

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<v Speaker 1>and all that New year energy for new goals is

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<v Speaker 1>long swept into the past. We are also nowhere near December,

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<v Speaker 1>where the prospect of finishing starts to exert its own pull.

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<v Speaker 1>Long term projects can occasionally suffer from some malaise and performance.

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<v Speaker 1>Let's just say that a few of my recent sonnets

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<v Speaker 1>have been fairly pedantic. I rhyme the words eyes and surprise,

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<v Speaker 1>and that wasn't even the worst of it. Persisting in

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<v Speaker 1>the mushy middle is hard, but I try to remind

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<v Speaker 1>myself that magic often happens in the mushy middle. You

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<v Speaker 1>have to be there to experience it, and so you

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<v Speaker 1>commit to continuing to just be there. For instance, I

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<v Speaker 1>was listening to BWV one eighty one the other day,

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<v Speaker 1>which is my one hundred eighty first Bach Church cantata.

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<v Speaker 1>As a lot of cantatas, some are more workaday than others.

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<v Speaker 1>But then there was this thrilling, aggressive violin line thrown

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<v Speaker 1>in there where the violinist plays more than one note simultaneously,

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<v Speaker 1>which is always pretty cool. And then there was a

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<v Speaker 1>glorious brass fanfare. A few moments after that. I sat

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<v Speaker 1>up in my seat listening just a little glimpse of magic.

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<v Speaker 1>There is no way I would have listened to BWV

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<v Speaker 1>one eighty one if I wasn't going through all the

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<v Speaker 1>works of Bach. It is not a particularly famous cantata,

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<v Speaker 1>unlike say the Christmas oratorio. Oh, people aren't performing it regularly.

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<v Speaker 1>But because I am listening to all two hundred plus cantatas,

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<v Speaker 1>I listen to that cantata and I heard those wonderful

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<v Speaker 1>strings and trumpets. I am trying to keep this in

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<v Speaker 1>mind with my sonnets too, because I keep writing two

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<v Speaker 1>lines a day, I keep completing a sonnet every week.

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<v Speaker 1>Some are not particularly inspired, and so it is tempting

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<v Speaker 1>in the middle of a week where I can see

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<v Speaker 1>that the sonnet is going nowhere to stop. But then

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<v Speaker 1>sometimes I come up with an image, or an interesting rhyme,

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<v Speaker 1>or just an interesting line. I might be able to

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<v Speaker 1>use that elsewhere, and it wouldn't have happened if I

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<v Speaker 1>had just stopped. You never entirely know when the good

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<v Speaker 1>stuff is going to happen, so you just have to

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<v Speaker 1>keep at it. Sure, magic might be possible at the

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<v Speaker 1>beginning or the end of anything, but it can happen

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<v Speaker 1>in the middle too. You write a draft of an

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<v Speaker 1>article that is not particularly insightful, but one line in

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<v Speaker 1>the middle sparks a new way of thinking that you

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<v Speaker 1>then pursue in your next work. You go to worship

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<v Speaker 1>services most weeks, and many aren't that memorable, but then

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<v Speaker 1>one week something just opens up new ways of understanding.

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<v Speaker 1>I am not saying you need to stick with anything forever.

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<v Speaker 1>Many things do just run their course. But if it

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<v Speaker 1>is a mostly positive force in your life and it's

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<v Speaker 1>never too onerous, it might be worth persisting. Even if

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<v Speaker 1>things are a bit ho hum. You never know when

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<v Speaker 1>magic will happen, but it is good to be there

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<v Speaker 1>for it. In the meantime. This is Laura. Thanks for listening,

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<v Speaker 1>and here's to making the most of our time. Thanks

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<v Speaker 1>for listening to Before Breakfast. If you've got questions, ideas,

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<v Speaker 1>or feedback, you can reach me at Laura at Laura

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<v Speaker 1>vandercam dot com. Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartMedia.

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