Do Something Difficult

As we learn how to do new things they by nature become less and less difficult. Walking, riding a bicycle, reading, mathematics are all examples of things, that will practice we can achieve with relative ease. I’ve recently been trying to teach myself new things that I once thought were difficult, and I’m finding they’re still difficult. They haven’t gotten any easier to learn, but what has changed is my desire to learn them and my dedication to the task.

Life filled with easy things we are the masters of is great and everything, but what about life with challenges of our own creation. Learning a new skill, taking a class to better ourselves, running a marathon are examples of things that fall outside of our daily habits and orbit of learned skills. They’re not easy, running a marathon is something I’ve yet to work up to doing simply because I know how hard it’s going to be. This doesn’t make me lazy, it just means I’m not ready to commit to something that arduous.

I think far too often people become comfortable with their day in, day out lifestyles and are complacent. I think that complacency is one of the most dangerous things that can happen to a person in their life. Sure, people like to have a comfortable life, but what happened to sticking your neck out and challenging yourself to rise above your everyday routine or lifestyle?

I know, there are a million reasons (excuses) people don’t ever attempt things that they once dreamed of doing… but there are just as many reasons to make, not find, make the time to do them. Everyone is busy, everyone works, everyone has familial obligations, social obligations that take up our time. There is a breed of person out there who rises to those daily events and still gets out and challenges themselves to be greater than who they currently are at any given second of their lives.

I propose picking one thing you’ve always wanted to do, no matter what it is or how trivial you think it might be, and do it. Then, after you do that, pick something a little harder… and do that, too. Before you know it your life is going to be half over and you’re never going to have challenged yourself to anything other than just living – that status quo. When I close my eyes for the last time I want to see all of the things I dreamed of doing, and have actually done.