Choose Your Hard

Life is going to be hard. You're going to experience suffering in some form or fashion in many moments throughout the course of your life. How you prepare yourself for that suffering cuts right to the heart of availability.

A concept I was introduced to a long time ago is the idea that our life is largely determined by the decisions we make on a moment-to-moment basis. How your life looks today is due, in large part, to the decisions you've made in the past that have led you to this point. I believe the circumstances of our lives are, in most part, due to our decisions.

So what circumstances have the decisions of your past led you to today? Do you have the life you've always dreamed of? Why or why not? I'd encourage you to take some time to reflect on how the decisions of the past have led you to where you are today. Don't play the blame game. Don't be the "I can't catch a break" person — that attitude is a lie, and it's keeping you from being Fully Available. Take ownership of where you are in life, and reflect on how the good, the bad, and the ugly are, in all likelihood, due to one thing: your decisions.

That realization is hard for most people. It's hard to admit that the less-than-ideal circumstances we live with are present because of our own decision-making. It's also hard to conceptualize the idea that the great parts of life are just as much a product of our decisions. It's a lot to ponder. It requires real awareness, humility, and a sense of responsibility.

Now, here's the thing — regardless of what decisions we make, life is going to be hard. So choose wisely which hard you want to endure.

It's really hard to get up early every day and exercise. It's also really hard to deal with hypertension, heart failure, strokes, obesity, osteoporosis, depression, anxiety, and the many other ailments that come from physical inactivity. So choose which hard you want to endure.

We all have an amazing capacity to talk ourselves out of things by convincing ourselves that they're not important, too hard, or somehow wrong. Fear will dominate our thoughts and point us toward the easy thing in the moment. Fear will tell you to seek comfort today with no regard for what that decision leads to tomorrow.

Discipline is extremely hard. So is addiction.

Saving money and building wealth by living within your means is hard. So is being in debt.

Marriage is hard. So is loneliness.

True devotion to your vocation is hard. So is purposelessness.

Choose your hard.