Important things in life don’t come easy. Nor should they. Education, self-learning, staying fit, staying financially stable, mentally sane and acute, etc. — all of these things require friction. They require work.
The hours to put in. The struggle of not knowing where to go next. The thrill of finding a solution. The discipline to push yourself.
That’s why all education is, really, self-education. (As Maria Popova said, knowledge has to be claimed.)
And that is why we must not shy away from doing hard things.
Doing hard things brings freedom we can’t buy otherwise.
The modern agenda in a culture that says ‘follow your bliss’ can easily deviate us from the right path. If all we do is follow our bliss, we never get to do the hard things. You know, the stuff that doesn’t bring joy immediately — but brings intense fulfillment down the road (e.g., saving money to invest, staying healthy to feel and look great, learning something new that impacts your career).
When JFK was launching people to the moon, he said, “We’re going to go to the Moon not because it’s easy. We’re going to the Moon precisely because it’s hard.”
With all the visible success on social media and Instagram, we — and I mean, you and I — fell into the trap of instant gratification. Once we have an idea of what we want, we want it now—success, a six-pack, a viral blog post, you name it. Impatience and entitlement — these are the two biggest problems of my generation.
But valuable things can’t — and shouldn’t — come easy.
You see, doing hard things not only gets you places — a good body, stable bank account, and shrewd mind — it also builds character. The journey of doing hard things is the journey of spiritual growth. And once you have that, you have what everyone is looking for.
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