"There's a worthy and noble ambition: strength in the face of adversity. That is very different from the wish for a life free of troubles." - Jordan Peterson
Our most precious achievements are the ones achieved after our most challenging journeys. Really, has anything you've been proud achieving come easily to you? It doesn't mean that you couldn't enjoy the journey. It doesn't mean that you had to suffer through it. Although you probably felt pain and disappointment throughout, you kept going.
You had a dream, a vision a goal that kept you going or maybe your back was against the wall and giving up wasn't an option.
Either way you knew where you had to get regardless of the obstacles. And this I think can make the pain almost enjoyable. When you have the end goal in mind the obstacle becomes another opportunity to get closer to it.
No one ever bragged about how easy the journey to becoming a black belt was for them. No matter what, the stories are always filled with mentally and physically difficult training sessions, injuries, sacrifices, struggles and disappointments.
And it makes the day you become a black belt so much sweeter and meaningful.
So if you're thinking of quitting because: You're not good enough or strong enough. You haven't had that breakthrough yet or you're just too tired and un-inspired or whatever the reason is. Think again!
This is the struggle everyone of us goes through, even the super athlete that seems to get everything so easily, even your senseis and coaches.
Imagine yourself down the road remembering the journey you went through. Which story do you want to share? I think the answer will always be the one that challenged you to grow and push through. The one that honed you to become stronger and more resilient.
