‘Everything is hard before it is easy’

So, is it? Could the highly revered 18th century German writer, Goethe, have adduced his age-old adage to the “hardness” in whipping up his literary ventures? Or, can “everything is hard before it is easy” bespeak of the real scheme of things, both the trivial and consequential ones alike?

On hindsight, it may be reckoned that everything “new” in this life on our part as humans (not God, who just easily verbalized “Let there be light…etc.” in creating the world) did not come easy – from our mom’s carrying us in the womb for 9 months, to our birth, to our infancy, to learning to talk and walk, then going to school until finishing college (nay for some), getting a job, getting married and building a family, unto our retirement years.

Verily, as it is, it can be said that the whole enterprise of life – even including those born with a silver spoon in their mouth – is really NOT THAT EASY.

Just a flicker of thought, could this be – cadged from theological perspective – the price we have to pay for the “fall” of our first parents (Adam and Eve) in the garden of Eden?

But, on the other hand, some would surely argue that for the life of them, things are just easy as they are “new” or fresh, or so they are.

Okay, let’s get to the bottom line: Fact is, life is both hard and easy. But, it’s the hard things that build us up, change our life, and provide the growth that we need. Hard things make the difference between living and existing, between knowing our journey and walking it, between a life in a “matrix” and one filled with meaning, purpose, and fulfillment.

In particular, it’s the things that matter most or worthwhile – like lasting friendships, successful marriage, and parenting – that profoundly require hard work or sacrifice.

In lasting friendships, we invest hard work, dedication and sacrifice to achieve mutual trust, respect, and commitment.

In marriage, in order to succeed, we invest ultimate commitment and embrace a mindset of “we” rather than “me”, and “what’s mine is now ours”.

In successful parenting, we invest unconditional love and make sacrifices that enable our children to flourish and reach their true potential.

Life, indeed, is a never-ending learning process, from womb to tomb. Every moment – being an opportunity to learn and grow is a “work in progress” and, hence, requires a certain amount of effort or sacrifice. Devoid of meaning, our “work” or effort is plain chore. But, if done with purpose in mind, it becomes passion and thus geared towards success or happiness.

Truly, therefore, there’s one hard lesson that we often learn too late in life: We need to do hard things in order to be happy or successful.

In sum, growth, success and happiness begin at the edge of our comfort zone.

Krish Dhanam, author and motivational speaker, said it right: “97% of the people in this world operate in the comfort zone, 3% of the people in this world operate in the effective zone. The difference between comfort and effectiveness is called growth, and growth is uncomfortable.”

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