MOTIVATION : FRIENDSHIP WITH STRUGGLE IN LIFE FOR WHAT?

From the very childhood, our parents, guardians, elders and teachers have been telling us that if you do the right thing right away, you would develop yourself well and you get success in all your endeavors in a big way, sooner or later. 

They have also been trying to impress that there is no short cut to success. Only consistent hard work with proper knowledge, planning, dedication and commitment will guarantee progress, success and happiness in life.

There are several motivational books on the subject in the market to underline these points. 

There are thousands of true stories too about many of our great men in all walks of life who struggled throughout their life to achieve seemingly unachievable goals, may it be freedom of the country from slavery of foreign rule or the socio-economic revolutions for an equitable and just society or numerous great scientific inventions. 

Otherwise also, whose life in this world has been without any struggle, long or short, tough or slightly difficult?

If that is so, then why we suffer at times with negative thoughts and feel demotivated and demoralized when confronted with a situation where we are required to come out of our comfort zone? 

It is painful to find that more and more people are joining this fold and making their life as well as the life of their family members quite miserable without any valid reason or rhyme.

A number of experts are of the opinion that it is due to our reluctance to embrace struggle as our natural companion in life despite knowing very well that the struggle in everybody’s life is not unusual or uncommon. It is rather part of our long dynamic life cycle and we should be thankful for this as only by travelling through our own struggle street, we become able to develop strength to face our present and future in a better manner. 

That’s why Henry Rollins says, “Strength is the product of struggle; you must do what others don’t to achieve what others won’t.”

Many writers and thinkers have been saying it in different ways that as the gold gets a better sheen and shine after going through the test of fire, so is the human being who is required to go through the struggle cycle of varying magnitude to achieve the desired goal in life.

To say in other words, the fruits of success become sweeter when it is achieved through the route of struggle. 

Amos Bronson Alcott puts it in this way, ‘Success is sweet and sweeter if long delayed and gotten through many struggles and defeats.’

In fact, struggle exposes us to many challenges which ultimately pave the way to our manifold accomplishments and progress – may it be our enhanced level of self-confidence, commitment, knowledge base, dedication, empathy and compassion.

Think for a while about the historical feat of Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and his co-mountaineer Tenzing Norgay of Nepal who unfurled the flag of success on 29029 feet high Mount Everest in May, 1953 by putting the exemplary level of struggle despite mountain of odds during the course of their expedition.

That may be the reason why Noam Chomsky says, ‘Changes and progress very rarely are gifts from above. They come out of struggles from below.’

As always, I'm keen to know what you think on this subject. Hence, request you to post comments to share your views and experiences.

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