Where does the money come from in NL?

[RacersEdge]

In Limit, TPTK is a pretty big hand - and getting TPWK to call you down is a "bread and butter" play. In NL, the standard advice seems to be that TPTK is not nearly as good a hand compared to Limit. And in my play - basically online FR 25 and 50 NL seems to support that idea as I rarely get paid off by TPWK calling me down.

So in playing a TAG style, is NL a game of rarer events - i.e. waiting for 2 pair, sets, or better to win big pots (stacks) instead of grinding it in as in Limit?

NL seems to me right now to be a waiting game that is very trappy. Is this the right perception or am I likely missing certain aspects of the game?