It Doesn't All Have To Be Hard Won

Being presented with a challenge can be incredible fun, and it can be immensely rewarding. When all the hard work and dedication pay off, the celebration that was dreamt of through the entire process makes it all seem real and worth it. What happens when what is strived for remains elusive? What about when we ignore those easier, better fits in life, because we think nothing gained without blood, sweat, and tears is good enough?

Maybe its a fear of complacency, or the reluctance to accept that we deserve to achieve, to have, and to enjoy those things and people that complement us. It might be that we are addicted to the chase. Either way, it is a sad thing when amazing people who work hard throwing all they are into something, and continue to do so without ever achieving success, because they have no idea how to accept and enjoy everything around them, regardless of whether it came easily or not. These are the people who are not driven to achieve, they are addicted to chasing and struggling. Unwittingly always being two seconds late and five steps behind.

These individuals would benefit from reprogramming their expectations and learning how to appreciate the little things. I was one of these people; I was part of the 'we'. It isn't that I don't challenge myself anymore, it's that I allow all the achievements and successes, regardless of the work they required, to be a part of who I am. If I make it through a day without dropping something, it's a great day. If I spent weeks or months pecking away at something and it finally comes to completion, it's also a great day. Even on my worst days there is always something to look at and appreciate. And with friendships and relationships it's the same; it doesn't always have to be an uphill climb (and in the instance of any relationship, it really shouldn't be). 

I watch people around me, particularly those I immediately identify with because they are chase addicts, and I wonder what will finally click with them one day, so they can enjoy the happiness they already have. A-ha moments are different for everyone, whether they share the same 'affliction' or tendencies as others or not. The thing I would hope for most, is that they do have that moment, and that they still have enough time in life to start living it as the most whole version of themselves possible.