“It is only through labour and painful effort, by grim energy and resolute courage that we move on to better things.” Theodore Roosevelt.
There cannot be a greater feeling of exultation than to achieve your goals. People often give up their goals because the path to success is painful. However, as much as you try to eliminate pain in life, the fact remains that there can be no gain without pain.
Simply put, ‘pain’ is nothing but the ‘effort’ needed to surmount hurdles in pursuit of a goal.
Achieving all of life's lasting pleasures - good relationships, successful careers, robust health - requires a lot of effort. The first step, hence, is the decision to get out of your comfort zone and take on the bull by its horns. Often, this means grappling with issues like resolving a conflict, gaining a necessary competence or taking on a physical challenge.
Here is a story.
"A museum laid with beautiful marble tiles had a huge marble statue right at the centre of its lobby. It was that of a magnificently beautiful lady, and people all over the world visited the museum just to admire this beautiful marble lady statue.One night, a marble tile started talking to the marble statue.
Marble tile: Marble statue, it’s just not fair! Why does everybody from all over the world come all the way here just to step on me while admiring you? Not fair!
Marble statue: My dear friend, marble tile, do you still remember that we were actually from the same cave?
Marble tile: Yeah! That’s why I feel it is even more unfair. We were born from the same cave and yet we receive different treatment now. Not fair!
Marble statue: Then, do you still remember the day when the designer tried to work on you, but you resisted his tool?
Marble tile: Yes, of course I remember. I hate that guy! How could he use his tool on me, it hurt so much.
Marble statue: That’s right! He couldn’t work on you at all as you resisted being worked on.
Marble tile: So?
Marble statue: When he decided to give up on you and start working on me instead, I knew at once that I would be something different after his efforts. I did not resist his tool; instead, I bore all the painful tools he used on me.
Marble tile: Mmmmmmmmm…………
Marble statue: My friend, there is a price to everything in life. Since you decided to give up half way, you can’t blame anybody who steps on you now."
© Sujata Khanna. All rights reserved.
There cannot be a greater feeling of exultation than to achieve your goals. People often give up their goals because the path to success is painful. However, as much as you try to eliminate pain in life, the fact remains that there can be no gain without pain.
Simply put, ‘pain’ is nothing but the ‘effort’ needed to surmount hurdles in pursuit of a goal.
Achieving all of life's lasting pleasures - good relationships, successful careers, robust health - requires a lot of effort. The first step, hence, is the decision to get out of your comfort zone and take on the bull by its horns. Often, this means grappling with issues like resolving a conflict, gaining a necessary competence or taking on a physical challenge.
Here is a story.
"A museum laid with beautiful marble tiles had a huge marble statue right at the centre of its lobby. It was that of a magnificently beautiful lady, and people all over the world visited the museum just to admire this beautiful marble lady statue.One night, a marble tile started talking to the marble statue.Marble tile: Marble statue, it’s just not fair! Why does everybody from all over the world come all the way here just to step on me while admiring you? Not fair!
Marble statue: My dear friend, marble tile, do you still remember that we were actually from the same cave?
Marble tile: Yeah! That’s why I feel it is even more unfair. We were born from the same cave and yet we receive different treatment now. Not fair!
Marble statue: Then, do you still remember the day when the designer tried to work on you, but you resisted his tool?
Marble tile: Yes, of course I remember. I hate that guy! How could he use his tool on me, it hurt so much.
Marble statue: That’s right! He couldn’t work on you at all as you resisted being worked on.
Marble tile: So?
Marble statue: When he decided to give up on you and start working on me instead, I knew at once that I would be something different after his efforts. I did not resist his tool; instead, I bore all the painful tools he used on me.
Marble tile: Mmmmmmmmm…………
Marble statue: My friend, there is a price to everything in life. Since you decided to give up half way, you can’t blame anybody who steps on you now."
Most people expect some return on their efforts in a relatively short time period. It takes patience to work on something without immediate returns. There will be point when the path to success seems arduous. This is the time you have to make your decision- whether to put in extraordinary effort in pursuit of the goal or to give up. Finally, it is only you who will be responsible for your decisions.
You want to be successful, and enduring temporary stress is a small price to pay in order to reap lasting pleasure!
© Sujata Khanna. All rights reserved.
