The Thing About Hard Things…

Not long ago I was having one of those moments of wallowing in self-pity.  Do you have those times?  I bet you do.  Your goals probably wouldn’t be worthwhile if it didn’t sometimes feel that way.

I talked to my wife about it.  By now she has a bit of experience talking me through those times with love and understanding, but just the right playful, patronizing kick.  After all, she has her own stuff to deal with 😄

She said, “Aaron, you do hard things.”

Unspoken subtext…”Duh 🙄 What do you EXPECT, silly?!”

It’s good to have a good helpmate.  She was right.

And that’s true of you as well, isn’t it?  You have the calling to do hard things.

Now, here’s the thing about hard things.  They’re hard.

People have many ways of guiding you through that, almost trying to trick your brain into thinking they’re not hard.  Sometimes that’s useful.

But at a certain point I think we just need to face the fact that if you’re here, reading this, and this message resonates with you, you are here to walk a challenging and uncertain path.

Because the point of life is growth.  Growth on every level.  And we don’t grow without challenges.

That’s the paradox of much of the coaching and self-help I see out there right now.  It seems to want to make growth easy and effortless.  But I don’t know that it ever can be, or should be for that matter.

Here’s what I know.  The leaders and creators I am here to guide and serve along their journey have a deep calling that touches many areas of their lives, some of which they don’t even see at first.  I call these the Spheres of Leadership Influence.  The secret is that there is no self, because the moment you ask what you want you immediately start thinking about how you impact other people on numerous levels.

Your path of transformation forges you into a leader of charity, integrity and vision who shows up to shape the world with profound and positive impact at every point of contact.

But it doesn’t happen without growth.

And growth, my friend, is a hero’s journey, in all times and all places.  Look that up if it’s a new concept for you, because it is an incredibly important one.

My quick definition: enduring the very challenges and struggles you fear leads to triumph and creates a story worth telling.

It is heroes who shape the world on all the levels you dream of.  It is heroes who fill the volumes of our histories, myths, legends (even the tragic ones).  We don’t tell stories of ease.  Listen closely.  Doesn’t happen.

So OF COURSE living into your purpose will involve hard things, and the thing about hard things is that they’re hard.

If this is speaking to you I have a truth for you.  It may be a…hard one, but it’s the one you need.

This growth is your responsibility.  Your calling as a leader is telling you this, and it’s a hero's journey.  Because we tell the best stories about people who do hard things.  And the thing about hard things is that they’re hard.

I can’t promise ease, only the personal peace and ongoing vision that comes from growth.  It’s your calling and your responsibility.  And it will transform you into the leader we need.  It’s what you’re here to do.