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Suffering. We’ve all done it. Some are suffering right now. Some live most of their lives suffering.
Let me get right to the point:
Suffering is not a path to Success.
Success does not require suffering.
There’s this huge fallacy abound in our culture that you have to suffer in order to get anywhere, become anything, or accomplish anything.
I call bullshit.
Is life easy? No. Not for anyone.
Are there going to be tough times? Absolutely.
Is anything worth doing going to require hard work? Yes, without a doubt. However, the converse is not true. To be happy and/or to be successful you do NOT have to endure prolonged suffering.
I live in the entrepreneurial world, and it’s so common there for the suffering entrepreneur to be heralded. It’s the most celebrated addiction in the world. Like he/she is a hero for working so much they’re never home. Like sacrificing your health and your life is OK if it’s because you’re building a company.
I spend a lot of time helping divorced entrepreneurs. That’s a double double…. Take what I said above and add to it the down, depressed, suffering divorcee. Many take divorce as an awakening, but some choose to live in martyrdom.
I realize I’ll probably get some hate mail over this. If you think I breezed through my divorce, read some of my other posts about the depths of post divorce depression. Just because I’m the ResilienceGuy, doesn’t mean I don’t suffer. My point is that suffering does not get us anywhere. Yes, we are going to get kicked and punched by life. Unfortunately, we’ll even get kicked and punched by those we love.
It’s what we do afterwards that matters. This is where your resilience surfaces. Resilience is a virtue. You’re not born with it. It’s a choice you make. Do we move on, become stronger, and work through whatever is ailing us? Or, do we dwell in a suffering state? It’s easier to stay in suffering, it truly is. We can hide from the world because we have been hurt.
I’m boldly stating that stepping out and walking towards healing that starts success. Every champion has lost. Every hero has been hurt.
You are no different. Declare you are not a victim.
Whether it’s a divorce that has you down, or it’s a financial loss, a loss of relationship, a job loss, whatever… try to steer yourself out of suffering as soon as possible. If you are working too much: STOP. Your life is too precious! Don’t give so much of it to a company, even if that company is yours.
The same thing applies if you are giving too much of yourself to anything else. You know what that is, I don’t. I know I have my time and energy sponges; I choose to keep them in their place as much as possible. You can too!
After all, “Life is a Gift”. And you have much life to live!
~ bill
30 years of strategic, entrepreneurial business growth along with two brushes with death have earned him the tag “ResilienceGuy”. Bill Douglas is an accomplished Mentor, Coach & Speaker helping entrepreneurs & executives with growth and strength.
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This post has been republished to Medium.
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