“Make yourself do something hard every day”
I started practicing doing something hard every day years ago. I was not always like this though. I used to be too frightened of failing or of being afraid (scared of being scared).
I was the kid that climbed the high dive ladder, wimped out, and climbed back down as the kids at the bottom would give me that “look”.
For you, doing something hard might mean coming to counseling. It might mean talking to someone with honesty even if you are afraid they will react negatively. It might mean keeping on trying in a relationship, or listening more than talking. Maybe it means showing up to a class or a group not knowing anyone.
There are so many hard things. You’ll be surprised when you start working on this how often you try to avoid the hard and the uncomfortable.
But there is something really important about doing something hard every day. It teaches you to not bail on yourself. It gives you the experience of courage instead of avoidance. It teaches you to face the hard or annoying things you would much rather not face.
I can not tell you how often I push myself into something hard. Literally. Every. Single. Day. And without fail, I argue with myself wanting to stay comfortable.
I have had conversations that were extremely hard and have ended well. And I have had conversations that were extremely hard and ended poorly. So not all your hard pushes will feel successful. But they all teach you something. And that is: “You are stronger, more courageous than you think you are.”
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