Mastery: Easy Living Makes For A Hard Life

Issue No. 30 | July 24th, 2023 | Read Time: 3 Minutes

Happy Monday Everyone!

I believe there are two ways you can live your life, the easy way, or the hard way. 

Simple right?

Those who choose to live their life the easy way are the ones who only do what's comfortable. They never take risks and do whatever society tells them to do. 

While those who take the hard path are the ones who are always looking for opportunities and finding ways to better themselves. Always going a little farther than the next person, all with the aim to find out their true potential. 

Of course that entails late nights, stress, heartbreak, rejection, and fear. It's these side effects that prevent people from choosing the hard path. 

Even though the reward is significantly greater at the end of the hard path, people still choose the easy way out because we all love immediate gratification.

But the good thing about life is that you can change paths at any point. You just have to experience a change in perspective.

Stop thinking about what you can gain now, and start focusing on who you can be later if you decide to be patient.

One of my favorite quotes goes like this:

"If you do what is easy, your life will be hard. But if you do what is hard, your life will be easy."

It comes down to what you ultimately want. But if you're reading this, it's probably safe to say you're someone who wants to make the most of their life.

This topic really started to hit me when a good friend of mine sent me a poem about strength and resilience.

For those of you that don't know me, I'm not a poem guy.

But this one hit home.

It's fairly long, so I'll just give you the main excerpt:

Good timber does not grow with ease,The stronger wind, the stronger trees,The further sky, the greater length, The more the storm, the more the strength,By sun and cold, by rain and snow,In trees and men good timbers grow.

This poem was written by Douglas Malloch and is titled

Good Timber

for those of you who would like to read the whole thing.

Ultimately what Malloch is trying to say is that strong, resilient people don't become that way by living an easy life.

It's those who experience stress, trials, and tribulations that go on to build thick skin and a life worth being proud of.

So stop focusing on trying to be comfortable now, and start accepting a difficult life to live comfortably in the long run. 

We all start off as a sapling. It's up to you to decide what type of tree you'll be. 

Until next time,

Isaiah Taylor

Dive Deeper

What I'm Currently Reading -

I'm now reading

The Art & Business of Ghostwriting

by Nicolas Cole, his newest book on digital writing and making a career as a ghostwriter.

• If you'd like to see my notes on any of the other books I have previously read, then check out my websiteisaiahctaylor.comto view my entire library of notes and summaries.

Quote Of The Week

• "The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now." — Chinese Proverb