I really enjoyed the short piece – thank you for highlighting how important is for us to focus and do the things that are hard – even scare us – so that we can feel human again.
Thanks for the article, it is a way of living that I have followed for decades. My current focus is trying to find a way to inspire my kids to apply a similar approach to all aspects of their lives. Physical, mental, emotional.
Yes. Do hard things, and BE SELECTIVE about which difficulties you tackle.
• When you have a choice, always suffer for the right reasons. Do things in your circle of influence. DO NOT do hard things in your circle of concern. If you have to do hard things, wouldn't you rather be effective than waste your life bashing your head against a brick wall?
• If you need to rebuild momentum, start with small things first and work your way up to harder tasks. If cleaning you desk makes it easier to pick up the phone and cold call someone, go ahead.
• If you find yourself procrastinating with small tasks to avoid the truly hard things, stop immediately. Don't get trapped in the thick of thin things.
• If you had no choice and the hard thing – settling a loved one's estate, bearing bad news, physical danger – was forced upon you, remind yourself: when going through hell, don't stop. Whether the market is up or down, there is always something intelligent to do. Whether country A is bombing country B or vice versa, there is always something intelligent to do. Whether the Kardashians are making another TV show or not, there is always something intelligent to do.
What strikes me about this is that in a way it's kind of privileged, in that some people in this world don't have a choice. They are born into survival and hardship. They either find a way to survive every day, or they perish. Only the more fortunate are able to view struggle as a choice. I'm rather new to this idea, and may be missing something here?
I really enjoyed the short piece – thank you for highlighting how important is for us to focus and do the things that are hard – even scare us – so that we can feel human again.
I'm 77.
I remember listening to JFK's inauguration speech in January 1961.
"America will go to the moon BECAUSE it is HARD"
I never forgot that.
I went into medicine because it looked "harder" than becoming a very good STEM teacher
I love that. It’s so cool.
Don’t mention it man. It’s what we were born for and to experience.
Comfort sedates, but struggle awakens.
We do hard things not for reward, but to prove we are free, alive, and unfinished.
Meaning is not found in ease, but in chosen difficulty.
To avoid the climb is stagnation; to embrace it is dignity.
The struggle isn’t the cost of life it is life.
The struggle is life itself.
Hard things test strength.
Integrity tests who you are when strength stops being impressive.
Thanks for the article, it is a way of living that I have followed for decades. My current focus is trying to find a way to inspire my kids to apply a similar approach to all aspects of their lives. Physical, mental, emotional.
I believe you’ll be the perfect example for them.
Yes. Do hard things, and BE SELECTIVE about which difficulties you tackle.
• When you have a choice, always suffer for the right reasons. Do things in your circle of influence. DO NOT do hard things in your circle of concern. If you have to do hard things, wouldn't you rather be effective than waste your life bashing your head against a brick wall?
• If you need to rebuild momentum, start with small things first and work your way up to harder tasks. If cleaning you desk makes it easier to pick up the phone and cold call someone, go ahead.
• If you find yourself procrastinating with small tasks to avoid the truly hard things, stop immediately. Don't get trapped in the thick of thin things.
• If you had no choice and the hard thing – settling a loved one's estate, bearing bad news, physical danger – was forced upon you, remind yourself: when going through hell, don't stop. Whether the market is up or down, there is always something intelligent to do. Whether country A is bombing country B or vice versa, there is always something intelligent to do. Whether the Kardashians are making another TV show or not, there is always something intelligent to do.
Nice addition. We have to be smart about the difficulties we choose to undertake.
Thanks so much for this fantastic post. You were 100% on target when you said ‘you have to be all in.’
All or nothing.
Do things that challenge you daily.
What strikes me about this is that in a way it's kind of privileged, in that some people in this world don't have a choice. They are born into survival and hardship. They either find a way to survive every day, or they perish. Only the more fortunate are able to view struggle as a choice. I'm rather new to this idea, and may be missing something here?