It’s human nature to seek pleasure and avoid pain.
This universal law is at the foundation of every choice we make.
Too often, we opt for immediate pleasure in order to avoid discomfort in the short term.
Problem is, what we want most is rarely aligned with what we want right now.
To say there are only two types of people – those who choose the path of least resistance and those who choose the hard path – is too binary.
The human experience is more complex than that.
But, it’s worth remembering that how we do anything is how we do everything.
So here’s what I’m asking you to think about:
Do you choose the easiest path, the path of least resistance? Do you let yourself off the hook? Do you have a tendency to choose what you want right now over what you want most?
Or do you seek the more difficult path? Do you seek the choice that offers growth opportunities and likely leads to that which you want most?
Those who seem most fulfilled in their lives have a habit of making the tough choice.
Those who seem most stuck, frustrated, and unfulfilled, seem to have a habit of choosing the easier path…
Have the difficult conversations. Tell the folks you love how you truly feel. Sit in silence instead of cueing up the next video, podcast, song or book so you can listen to the voice within you.
Make the hard choice. When we observe this choice from the witness perspective – or 30,000 foot view – there really is no choice to be made.
P.S. The advantages of making the hard choice are not just my observation – the famous Stanford marshmallow study lends scientific validity to the hypothesis that developing a disciplined habit of delaying gratification leads to greater success throughout one’s life.
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