Like a chunk of carbon under tremendous pressure, if you do not collapse into a thousand crumbs, you will metamorphose into a matchlessly hard diamond. The process of strengthening, toughening, restructuring is measured not in days and months, but in years. No one said it was going to be easy, that it would take only a single book, a single inspirational speech, a single wave of achievement to mold your mind into a success engine capable of driving you unstoppably toward your dreams.
That thing you’re pursuing. You want it, badly. It’s difficult to get. It’s painful. You feel like you need it. But let me tell you, you don’t. The only thing you need is your will to act. You are hurt. You are wounded. I know the feeling. But what is the next step?
Take it.
Nothing of value ever comes for free. Greatness demands sacrifice. Discomfort. Pain. Suffering is optional; you do not have to curse your fortune in futility. It is what it is. But pain is necessary. Do not try to evade it. You must pay your dues before life will fulfill your deepest desires. The more magnificent your vision, the more pain you must pass through to sharpen your thinking, like a blade on a stone, into a weapon used in order to take action. Uncompromising, relentless action.
Allow the pain to torch the softness from your mind. Allow yourself to be pounded for being weak. Let go of your need for results. For praise. For validation. Your strength is your reward. Praise yourself for taking action. Validate yourself for your courage. Do not make a halfway investment into your dreams. It is too late to turn back. You must follow through until the bittersweet end.
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Embrace the Pain
The great sword survives the trial of fire as it is hammered again and again against the anvil by the hot hammer.