I don’t believe so, but that’s not what I used to think! It’s taken me 40 years to tell myself a different story and train my brain how to respond differently.
This was my belief system for years:
- The stronger the risk, stronger the reward
- Nothing worth it is easy
- If you don’t die trying, you will succeed
- You need to sacrifice many things to get what you want
- When it rains, it pours
- Things happen in 3’s
- Keep on pushing…
What it does require is dedication, clarity, commitment, consistency, perseverance, patience, action, getting out of comfort zone, setting boundaries, being bold and a bunch of other things,
…but it may not need to be so dang hard.
I’ve gotten through hundreds of moments of falling on my face, but I’ve learned that falling down doesn’t mean jack if you don’t get back up. So I’ve lived my life getting back up, redirecting and achieving what’s next.
Back to the original question: Should “learning lessons” need to be HARD?
No.
Write down what your grandparents and parents said growing up, what you teach your kids, what people around you say and what you catch yourself thinking and saying every day. Then create new beliefs so you can replace the old ones and repattern your brain.
Can’t wait to hear how your perspective changes and how much growth happens just by being aware of old thought patterns!
Dr. T
