Life is a serious business as Les Brown says.

Life is hard. It not easy when you fail that exam you worked so hard to prepare for, when your employer makes you redundant, when your boyfriend or girlfriend dumps you (by text), when your client leaves you, when your business is in the red or the doctor wants to “speak” with you. Challenges most often come unexpectedly.

Life is hard, just handling the daily pressure, the constant demand, being a business entrepreneur, divorced parents, a working mum, an artist making end meet, or “the future of this organisation”. Life will constantly throw challenges at us.

When we go through things, we might not realise why we go through them as we have our heads down. It is only once we’ve passed the obstacle that we look back and understand the lessons learnt and are prepared for better and greater things.

Life is teaching us to embrace it, whatever comes. Go with what comes your way. Let’s deal with it, head down.

It is a challenge but as one says, “Easy come, easy go!”. Work hard for your dream. Make those hard decisions right now, do those things that you don’t want to do but need to do so you can go where you want to go. Those are some of the hurdles that we need to jump over. Do what you need to do because otherwise life might hit you until you surrender.

If it’s hard, do it hard and don’t expect it to come the easy way. You must have faith, you’ve got to believe in yourself, believe in your ability, ideas, vision and this will give your patience! Handle challenges as they come, faith and patience will drive you into action. Keep moving, again and again. Keep moving.

Chinese bamboo trees take five years to grow. They need to be watered and fertilised every day. Then, they start growing through the ground in the fifth year. But then, within 5 weeks they grow to 20 meters high.

So does it grow 20 meters in 5 years or in 5 weeks? In 5 years obviously! But anytime it’s not watered, fertilised or nurtured it will die.

How long have you been working on your dream? “And this what you’ve got to show for all the work and time you have been working on this?” Some might mock and tease you.

Most people don’t see instant results and gratification, stop!

It does not work like this, wouldn’t you agree? 

You need to keep on watering your dream. And when it starts to grow, water more.

You will fail, but you will rise. The harder the battle, the sweeter the victory. 

What you have become in the process is more important than the goal and the dream. The kind of person you have become, the character that you built, the grit you have sustained, the courage you have developed. This journey my friend is diamond!

You look yourself in the mirror, you smile. You walk with a different kind of spirit.

You embrace it. You know it was hard! But you did it despite the fact it was hard!

QUESTION…

How long have you been working on your dream?