Nothing Worthwhile is Easy

I’m not sure if it is an instinctual trait or something that is learned through our culture, but it seems more common than not for people to desire and seek an “easy” route towards their goals.  Though this makes logical sense that one would choose an easy route opposed to a challenging route if both routes led to the same place, through common life experience it can be argued that everyone has already discovered that this is not the case:  Both routes don’t lead to the same place.

For example, compare “Get-rich-quick-multi-level-marketing-pyramid-schemes” to inspiration, education, innovation, and execution.  While get-rich-quick schemes may work for some in the short term, the latter method produces far more successful results.  Another example is the end goal of weight loss.  Compared to a proper diet, full of high-protein and organic foods combined with regular exercise over an extended period of time, the no-carb, no-exercise, crash diet does not produce equivalent results.  Lastly, compare the remedies for a failed marriage:  The quick “get drunk, strippers, new hairdo/outfit/car/relationship, it was their fault” remedy vs the long term “counseling, introspective examination, get healthy mentally/physically/emotionally” method.

Which of these would you say have the most positive results?

I believe that though we desire that the quicker method was effective, all of us will agree that it is the longer, more difficult route in each of these scenarios that will actually lead us to the desired result.  That said, why do we keep trying to take short cuts?

Unfortunately, we’ve heard of people who have taken short cuts to success and we attempt to convince ourselves that this outcome is the “rule”, as opposed to the “exception to the rule” that it really is.  Furthermore, our society (marketing agencies) have propagated this lie in order to sell us more of their products.

Here is the truth: In life, nothing worthwhile is easy.

Great relationships aren’t made overnight…  They are made through the trials and triumphs of success and failures over the span of fifty years!  Though “happily-every-after” most definitely does exist, “fairy-god-mothers” do not.

The same goes for successful careers…  Though teen prodigies have started billion dollar companies out of their dorm rooms, this is the exception to the rule.  For most of us, the only shot we have at financial independance is lifetime of integrity, hard work, and dedication.

So, here’s the 50/50 questions:
1.  What goal in your life are you trying to take the shortcut to?
2.  When are you going to get serious and realize that nothing worthwhile is easy?