NO PAIN! NO GAIN! NOXQSEZ!
TAKING THE EASY WAY OUT: Rod MacDonald
May 3, 2015
Author: Rod Macdonald
"Wouldn't it be nice if life were easy? Imagine a world where you didn't have to work, didn't have to exercise, could eat whatever you want, and could be with whoever you want, whenever you want. At first glance, you might think "sign me up!".
But consider how predictable life would be and how boring it would seem after a short while. One of the beautiful things that separate us from other species is our evolution from being purely instinct driven to becoming needs driven and ultimately wants driven. We want more and more, but want to do less and less to achieve it. This dicotomy is what leads to most of the pain we think we are suffering from in life, because it does not match our expectations.
Here is your reality check: Life is not supposed to be easy. Life is supposed to be hard. We have evolved to have the hearts and brains we have. So we can solve problems and innovate. If we continue to seek out the easy way, we'll miss the richness of being challenged the hard way. In a sense we create our own pain. Because we think pain hurts and therefore not having pain is good. The pain is not the destination, it's the real road on which we must travel to get the good stuff in life."
Consider the following:
- It is easier to eat poorly than it is to eat well
- It is easier to be sedentary than it is to excercise
- It is easier to do the minimum in your job than it is to do your best
- It is easier to follow a crowd than it is to create your own path
- It is easier to criticize than it is to undertstand
- It is easier to ignore than it is to get involved
- It is easier to cut yourself down than it is to recognize how great you are.
What would life be like if you actually did all the things that are "hard"? If we expected things to be hard we would go about our daily lives and actually get the right things done. Life would probably be pretty amazing and in many ways, exactly what you would imagine to be ideal.
You will not be on your deathbed saying you wished you watched more TV or ate more junk food. If you don't challenge yourself, you will find yourself on your deathbed wishing you spent more time pushing yourself, doing your best and celebrating your many victories. Savour the pain of your daily life because it is intertwined with the pain that you will find the seeds of growth and prosperity.
Don't take the easy way out. Do what is hard, what is out of the ordinary and what others won't do. By doing this, you will discover a new level of confidence, energy and vitality reserved for the people you used to admire. The difference is you are now one of those people.
Noxqsez! Keep it real!!!
