Tuesday, February 25, 2014

An easier life...

"Never wish that life was easier. Wish that you were better."
-Jim Rhon
     Something about this quote really settled deep down in my lady parts y'all! 
Maybe it's because I am mildly obsessed with it's author, or maybe it's because I have been through some pretty tough shit, and have found myself wishing for an "easier life". Whatever the case may be, I think I've been wishing at the wrong well.
     Now don't get me wrong; I'm not a quitter or a weakling. On the contrary: When life has presented me with seemingly insurmountable obstacles, I have persevered until they were, indeed, surmounted. The trouble was, that at the end of a trial, instead  of learning and growing, I often found myself wallowing in the memory of the pain and the struggle. I was left wishing that life had been "fair" and plainly put: easy. 
     I've learned that an easy life is about as realistic as unicorns and fat-free chocolate. Life is tough. Shit happens. Hell, actually sometimes really, really horrible shit happens. We have a choice: We can chose to wallow in self-pity and grief and relish in the never ending daydream of a carefree life, or we can learn from every trial and become stronger. 
     I no longer wish for an easy life. I don't necessarily feel need for any further trauma either (insert nervous laughter) but I know that pain is pressure and pressure creates diamonds. I wish for the fortitude to withstand the pressure to become brilliant. The alternative, is coal dust.