No this isn’t a political post, instead I’m going to talk about one of the most fundamental truths of this life and how understanding it will help you accomplish, do, and be more. We all know that the things worth having in life generally are things you have to work hard for or at least have to work hard to keep. For example things like health and freedom. Or on the other end of the spectrum things like having a lot of money and/or being very good at a skill you admire and practice.
And a whole lot of other things. The good things in life either to protect and keep or build and develop take hard work, smart thinking, and lots of time and consistency. It’s human nature to look for shortcuts or to give into laziness, weakness, and whatever the easier choice is. And because of this it’s human nature to not succeed, it’s human nature to be a “sheep” and be lead wherever you’re led and have no say in the matter. However I’m guessing that’s not what you want for your life.
If it was you wouldn’t be spending your time reading this site. The fact that you are reading this site already proves that you’re above average, hell the fact that you’re reading at all anymore means you’re above average, but especially reading something designed to improve your life. You’re already on the right track you just have to keep learning and keep adjusting as you go. Here I’m going to lay out some concepts and principles to getting all the good things that you want out of life or at least help understand why you haven’t gotten those things yet if you’re confused.
The Prayer & Understanding Choice
In the West Point Cadet Prayer there is a line that says “Make us to choose the harder right, instead of the easier wrong.” a simple line but one that contains much wisdom in it. Whenever we come to a choice between two paths and we’ve sized them up and can’t figure out which one would be better. They both seem to bear the same merit, they both might lead to good things, they both have relatively equal amounts of risk, and so on and so forth. We can usually figure out which one is right by following the words of this prayer.
The choice that is harder is the choice that is right. The choice that challenges, that forces you to do, be, and become more. The one that puts you outside of your comfort zone and forces you to risk and push yourself. While also not being foolish of course. Rule #1 is always don’t be dumb. But when both paths seem even do the one that seems harder. It’ll suck at first and you’ll wonder why the hell you did it, but it produces rare fruit that few ever get to experience in the end.
The hottest fire produces the strongest steel. I don’t know if that’s actually true but it’s figuratively true, that I do know. We can always push ourselves more, expand ourselves, and build ourselves to new heights. All because of the harder, more arduous, path that we have chosen. A path that’ll force us to grow in proportion to the challenge that we find among it. Like a hero, literally, we meet challenges to inspire us to higher and higher levels of greatness, however you define that term.
Adaption Through Challenge & Failure
If we never fail we’ll never get better. We’ll never advance beyond where are now. If we never push ourselves we’ll never develop higher, we’ll never get better. If we never strive then we’ll never truly live. We’ll never find out who and what we are and what we’re made of. And even more important we’ll never shape who/what that is into something more. We’ll never take it “to the next level” and we’ll never expand our hearts, minds, and experiences. Even if we dare and fail, so what? That’s how you get further, that’s how you advance.
That’s how you become more. And if you do this enough that’s how you become great, at least greater than you were. You force challenge to you when it won’t come on its own, you force yourself to adapt to those challenges and rise higher. You become a leader, first of yourself, then of your family, then community, and so on and so forth. And it all starts with challenging yourself. With picking the harder right over the easier wrong. I’m not saying simply because a path or choice is easy it’s necessarily wrong but when it comes down to it.
When two paths are before you and one is hard and one is easy you know which one will be the right one. Granted that you’re following rule #1. And let’s hope that you are. Choose the harder right over the easier wrong. It’s a simple thing but like a great many simple things it has a lot to offer and can change your life is applied properly and consistently. Best of luck out there.
