The Hidden Value of Difficulties
September 9, 2009
Post by J.S. Dixon Follow me on Twitter Photo courtesy of Shane Gorski
How many times have you found yourself wanting something that’s just not easy to get? A new car, a nice new house, that promotion, self-employment? Do you ever wonder why you want things like that? I mean its just a lot of work to make these dreams and goals happen. Why can’t they be easier?
The fact is that its not those items that you want. What you really want is the difficulty needed to get them. In fact if you were just handed any of those things they would lose most, if not all of their value.
All things that you want are symbols, and all symbols that you are after serve one purpose; to prove to yourself, and others who you are, and who you can become. The thing by itself will not do for this. You don’t just want difficulty, you need it. You need difficulty for the achievements that it makes possible.
Without achievement a thing is just a thing. It can not bring you happiness, success, or fulfillment. Money is just paper, and while you can still spend it, if you know that you did not earn it there is going to be a nagging feeling at the back of your mind that will eat away at you.
Lets take a look at what happens when there is no difficulty. In zero gravity our astronauts have to do special exercises to keep there muscles from deteriorating. With no force to pull on the muscles they will deteriorate. In fact in order for your muscles to grow you need to make them do more than they are used to doing.
Difficulty defines achievement, it makes it possible. It makes inspiration possible. Do you ever look for inspiration from somebody who sits on a couch, or goes with the crowd? No, you look for the underdog. You look for the person who wants to achieve the “impossible”. The more that is against them, the more you want them to succeed.
When you overcome difficulties, not only do you build confidence for yourself, you become a source of inspiration to others. You can show people that they can also overcome difficulties.
You also can gain experience. Succeed or fail, every difficulty has something to teach, and that is the whole point.
So quick recap, because of difficulties there are great things to be achieved. Because of difficulties you can become a leader and inspiration. Because of difficulties you can test yourself, and found out first hand what you got. Because of difficulties things have value. Without difficulties life loses value, and we start to deteriorate. Aim high, and meet every challenge on the way head on. The reason that dream appeals to you is because of the difficulty.
Will you face each new challenge as an opportunity to grow? Will you look for the achievement before you look for the reward? Will you live a life that shows every one around you the hidden value that can only be found in difficulty?
“We must soar like eagles not to look down on others, but to cause others to look up.”–Emily Dickinson
Entry Filed under: goals. .
13 Comments Add your own
Leave a Comment
Some HTML allowed:
<a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <pre> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>
Trackback this post | Subscribe to the comments via RSS Feed
1.
Karlil | September 9, 2009 at 12:34 pm
Lovely. I think it wouldn’t apply to everyone though. I know quite a few who has got things handed to them and live happily with it. As a matter of fact, try materialistic girls. They be happy to land themselves on a rich guy. However, i believe fulfillment will only come to those who have worked their way to success. I love how it feels reading the post. It motivates me for action. Thank you JS
2.
alittlebetternet | September 9, 2009 at 12:40 pm
I would say those girls are not really happy. They are trying to act happy so that they can cover up what they really feel. They want the symbols or things to make them in to the fully alive human beings that only difficulties can bring.
3.
palladionhh | September 9, 2009 at 6:52 pm
Use it or loose it. That is true for the muscle as well as the mind. Just getting things without overcoming any difficulties feels boring and leads to mind-atrophy.
And to be honest doesn’t it really feel good, when you can clench your fist of victory and shout “Yes, I’ve done it”.
Your body knows how good that feels – remember it and feed you mind/body with that nutrient of power – overcoming difficulties.
4.
Anastasiya | September 9, 2009 at 10:15 pm
I like difficulties in my life (to a certain extent of course) and it does make me appreciate what I have more. Difficulties are the best motivation to do things for me but I am an ambitious person that is why the easy way is not cut out for me.
And about those girls, they are not happy. If they were they would not have been trying to cheat on their rich boyfriends or husbands, they would not have been going through all those plastic surgeries and using the help of life coaches and psychotherapists. This is just a female look at this question :-)
5.
Dayne | TheHappySelf.com | September 10, 2009 at 2:58 pm
Difficulties really are gifts. Not only to they strengthen us, they teach us, they make us wise, and they mature us. Your post is spot on and I loved it!
Great job JS!
Dayne
TheHappySelf.com :)
6.
Michael Fletcher | September 10, 2009 at 4:46 pm
Interesting take on this indeed without difficulty there is no growth but I think to many people create their own difficulties and allow those to limit them. In order for us to grow we have to get out there and uncomfortable.
7.
Kye | September 10, 2009 at 11:12 pm
I think it’s important that there be enough difficulty but not too much. Zygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development comes to mind here: a person stretches and grows when they are in that zone, not when the stretch is too big (they give up) or too small (they get bored).
8.
Oscar - freestyle mind | September 11, 2009 at 3:44 am
You are right, difficulty and changes makes the journey worth doing.
9.
alex - unleash reality | September 11, 2009 at 9:41 am
hey man
“The fact is that its not those items that you want. What you really want is the difficulty needed to get them.”
- wow.
…that part stuck out like magic. sooo insanely true. it’s like we put ourselves through all these things – all this striving – just so that we can give ourselves approval for being the hero.
…it’s like we put ourselves through trouble to tell ourselves how good we are at handling trouble :)
haha.
awwwsome site.
keep well and in touch mate
alex – unleash reality
10.
alittlebetternet | September 12, 2009 at 10:45 am
Every hero’s story is written about what is inside each of us. Though not everyone does this, just the people that really live.
11.
I TAKE OFF THE MASK | September 12, 2009 at 9:14 am
Well, LIFE’S A CLIMB, says Hannah Montana ;-) Indeed, it is these difficulties that challenges our spirit, helps us grow and make this life quite an adventure. What’s important is that we get excited over them and not feel frustrated along the way. Nice blog, keep it up.
12.
Krishna | September 26, 2009 at 9:27 am
Mate, thats a scary pic :-), but a wonderful post. If every goal were easy to reach, life would be pretty boring and we would learn nothing along the way. So yeah, challenges do matter, and in the end, they affect us positively.
Of course, its still hard when we are in the middle of facing challenges… That never gets easier… I suppose its important to be a trooper and keep on working through them!
Cheers,
Krishna
13.
Justin- AlittleBetter | September 26, 2009 at 10:32 am
Really? I thought the pic looked like he was standing looking forward to new possibilities.