Cryptograms and Discouragement

From time to time, I like to engage in the game of solving cryptograms. In case you might not know what I'm talking about, a cryptogram is a puzzle usually containing a sentence or long phrase in which each alphabetical letter is arbitrarily replaced by another in a one-to-one, unique fashion. Hence "A" may be signified, for example, by "Q" in every word displayed (and by no other letter). Knowing how words tend to be structured with suffixes and conjugations, knowing the short words, knowing consonant clusters and vowel combinations, and using relative frequency of letters to your advantage are all paramount in being able to solve a particular puzzle. But even after considering everything, sometimes a little old-fashioned guesswork is needed as well.

In almost every cryptogram I've successfully completed, I have come to a point in the solution process when, although I know some of the letters, it looks as if there is no way that they could fit and form actual words. This is what I call "the crisis" and often immediately precedes a breakthrough that quickly develops and cascades to the final, solved message.

I think it works that way, too, with a lot of things, not just cryptograms. You work hard at something, maybe improving some. But your progress just isn't satisfactory and it looks as if you have reached a plateau beyond which the only apparent direction is either stagnation or decline. This is also a "crisis", which I call the "crisis of confidence". And sometimes it happens just before a major breakthrough, which is often triggered by something that at the time seems insignificant.

I guess what I'm trying to convey in all of this is that, if you're going to embark on an endeavor of any sort, try to enjoy the process itself and don't be discouraged by those inevitable times when all of your travail seems to be for nought. Victory may instead be just around the corner!

And here, for your amusement, discouragement, and eventual victory, is my own cryptogram...

R ZRPB VK AGOJA MCZPQJQCD GEECDCU J UJRAK ODKQLGNDJV RMPLCJU GE LBJL HGDRMN ZGDU PCJDB QTSSAC GE LBCRDP.