We were walking in the Bryant Park subway station and noticed the words Gutta cavat lapidem carved into the wall.
Do you know what it means?
“The drop hollows out the stone.”
The quote is attributed to a few people, but primarily Ovid, who made the point a steady drip of water hallows out the hardest stone and how persistence creates strength that makes its way forward.
But we were thinking Gutta cavat lapidem also has a fascinating secondary point.
Namely, yes, we can become the drop of water hollowing out an objective with our persistence, but on the other hand, we might also be allowing a drip of water to hollow us out and therefore need to move out from under its trajectory and path.
Gutta cavat lapidem.
Are you the drop or the stone?
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On Emotions 