Why Difficulty Defines Some And Not Others

We all have hard things happen to us in life.

I’ve often wondered what makes one person succeed in the face of great difficulty while other people wander around, never finding the success they were hoping for.

Lately I’ve realized a big reason for this is that there is a difference between having something difficult happen to you and being willing to do something difficult. Difficult things happen to all of us (some more difficult than others). In the face of those difficulties, we have a decision to make.

We can take the easy way out. We can blame, punish, get bitter, resentful, push the responsibility off of ourselves.

Or, we can do the hard thing. Which is to own our shit. Take the high road. Forgive. Do the work to move past what has happened to us.

Those who do the hard work will not be negatively defined by their difficult circumstances.

Those who choose to do the easy thing in the face of great difficulty will, unfortunately, be defined by that choice.

I know I’ve taken the easy road a hundred times but I hope I’m learning to take the more difficult one. The path is always open to us if we’re willing to walk it. I’m learning.

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