Yes you! You who’s reading this right now. YOU can do hard things. You might be thinking, really Vashti?! You don’t even know me. You’re right. I don’t know you, but if there’s anything I do know it’s that the very things you feel are impossible to do or are incapable of doing are the things you can do.
If you know me, you know that I enjoy running. I am currently training for a half marathon at the end of October and then a full marathon in April. As much as I enjoy running, it’s not always fun and easy. There are days where I just don’t want to run. There are days I convince myself I am physically incapable to take on the miles set before me. On said days, I have to muster up everything inside of me to be make an effort to take each stride. After the first stride and each stride that follows I gain a sense of confidence. I gain a sense of knowing that I can and the I can after each mile shifts to I will to I did. Sort of a mind over matter kind of battle.
What are hard things for you to do? Let me help you out if you’re having a hard time thinking this question through. I did some research and here’s what people have admitted are some of the hardest thing for them to do:
- Get Married.
- Quit their job.
- Overcoming Addiction.
- Leave toxic people behind.
- Say no.
- Be okay with failure.
- Confront conflict.
- Speak out about injustice and truth.
- Trust.
- Take risks.
Does any of those resonate with you? Maybe it’s not as complicated as the 10 mentioned. Maybe it’s as simply complicated as waking up early and implementing a discipled lifestyle. That’s a hard thing to do, but guess what? You can do hard things!
A couple days ago I was scrolling through Instagram Reels and a particular Reel stood out to me. It’s one of those motivational ones. This one gave me goosebumps and shattered the glass my life so gracefully and comfortably nestled in. I don’t remember verbatim but here’s the gist of what the Reel said,
You are currently at the age your younger self envied. Are you doing, being and living what your younger self envied?
Boy did my life flash before my eyes. While I do have a great life and I am thankful for where God has placed me, there are things I have dreamed of doing that I’ve deemed as too hard. I’ve become okay with the bare minimal that I don’t even try. Why try when it’s too hard, right? Why try when there’s the possibility of failure? Fear of failure is one of the biggest reason why we get held back. It’s one of the greatest reasons we don’t try. Unfortunately, you and I have misunderstood what failure is. Failure isn’t the end all. Failure is not the stopping point. Failure is actually the beginning.
Winston Churchill, former prime minster of the United Kingdom during World War 2, infamously said,
Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.
Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill got it right. He shifted his understanding of success as not a final destination and expanded his view on failure as not the end all. The courage to continue counts. And you my friend can do just that. Yours and my greatest fear should never be of failing, rather it should be of never trying. Can I tell you, trying to do something you’ve convinced yourself is too hard to do is one of thee most liberating and freeing feelings. Don’t believe me? Try for yourself.
I will leave you with this verse from 2 Timothy 1:7,
For God did not give us a spirit of fear but of power and of love and of self-control.
While the context of this verse directly ties to our loyalty to Christ and the gospel message, I believe the message can be applied here too. As Christ followers we have been equipped with courage to do, love that extends grace when we encounter failure and self-control to know the difference between wisdom and falsehood in disciple. We were not designed to be timid examples of Christ. We were created to live bold, and in living bold requires us to do the hard things. God didn’t foolishly give us gifts, talents, dreams and goals. In living out our purpose, we do the hard things.
What have you convinced yourself is hard to do but you know you must do? You can do hard things!