I spent my weekend archery elk hunting in the Snowy Mountain Range. I love being in the mountains hunting, fishing, camping and enjoying the outdoors. During this trip, we hiked about 7 to 8 miles per day. The first two mornings were cold and wet. We were wet from head to toe and the chilly breeze sent the chill to our bones. On top of our wetness, we had our packs on and were carrying our bows. It seems like the longer you hike, the heavier those objects get. My feet ached, my back ached, and I was wet and cold. Lets just say, this isn't the first time I have been miserable while hunting in the mountains. Why do I subject myself to such misery? Because I have a passion for hunting and the outdoors. Because I love hearing elk bugle close by. Hunting is one of my greatest passions and I am willing to suffer and be miserable while doing it.
We all have suffered and been miserable at some point in our lives. Sometimes we have to suffer to meet our goals and find success. It is often that we see suffering as a negative, but think about what comes from suffering and misery. We often times fight harder to get through the misery. It is typical that family and friends come together in times of misery and suffering. Most self made millionaires, actors, and artists suffered and were miserable. Maybe they didn't have to be miserable, but their passion outweighed their misery causing them to push harder.
Mark Cuban: He was poor, living with 6 other people in an apartment and driving a car with holes in the floor board. He went through some tough times, but his vision and passion outweighed misery. Read more at:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/monteburke/2013/03/28/at-age-25-mark-cuban-learned-lessons-about-leadership-that-changed-his-life/#144fbac572ed
NF: A successful christian rapper who was physically abused and had to endure his mother's suicide. His misery can be heard in his lyrics, but his commitment to change his life and others thru music is evident. Read more at:
http://www.allmusic.com/artist/nf-mn0003282827/biography
Mark Wahlburg: actor, singer, and model who spent his youth in trouble with the law and eventually went to jail where he vowed to change his life. His miserable childhood resulted in a life change. Read more at
http://www.biography.com/people/mark-wahlberg-9542335
Eminem: A very controversial rapper who has caused nationwide chaos with his lyrics. Like him or not, his lyrics are a direct reflection of his early life, which was full of misery and struggle. He made himself famous by venting and displaying that misery. You don't have to like him, but he is a perfect example of misery turned to motivation. Read more at http://www.eminem.net/biography/
6 REASONS WHY MISERY MIGHT ACTUALLY BE A POSITIVE:
1. Misery Breeds Motivation
We have the opportunity to donate to a charity every month. As we research these charities, there is a common theme....someone went through or saw another go through a miserable experience. As a result, they put their heart and soul into their charity to try and help others. They found motivation to inspire. In business and life, we will suffer but suffering should motivate you to find a positive or logical solution to end that suffering. Wanting to be financially and debt free motivates me to work. The suffering that takes place during the journey is well worth it to me. Turn misery into motivation.
2. The misery of wanting should turn into the goal of acquiring.
My kids always want something. They want pets, 4-wheelers, KD everything, X-Box and the list could go on. They each have a pet that they purchased themselves and care for themselves. They turned their misery of wanting into a goal of acquiring. They earned every penny to buy their pets. My son worked hard to acquire some KD shoes as well. Do I agree with everything they purchase....NO. But they know that if they want something bad enough, they need to earn it. I wanted to have my own business and use it as a platform to do good, that's what pushed me to have a goal. I am now living my goal. The misery of wanting is a great thing, as it leads to motivation to achieve your goals.
3. Misery builds relationships
Each of us knows what it is like to suffer and be miserable, this will often help us build relationships within our families and our communities. People rally around suffering families to help them get through their time of misery. Sometimes we meet new people or we get to rebuild relationships that fizzled. Misery will often show who will be there when your life takes a turn for the worse.
4. Misery teaches compassion
I do not know what all my readers have endured in their lives, but I know what I have. When we see others go through something similar to what we have, it is easier to be compassionate and understanding about what they are enduring. Understanding what it is like to be miserable and suffer helps us understand what others are facing. I never fully understood what families endure with cancer until my grandpa passed from it. Try to always find compassion in others misery even if you don't fully understand it.
5. Misery makes us stronger
I think about athletics. Workouts can be, and usually are, miserable for athletes, but they do them to fuel their passions. Pushing through the pain and struggles strengthens our mind and body. Imagine if humans never over came their misery and suffering. We would not live in the technologically advanced world we live in today, and we would not have great people doing great things. Misery and suffering might happen daily in some facet of our lives, and we can complain about our sufferings, or we can set a goal to eliminate the misery and become a stronger person.
6. Misery teaches
If we take the opportunity, we can learn from being miserable. We should use our misery to learn and grow in our personal lives. I have struggled through projects and lost money because the project took twice as long because I wasn't prepared. I was stressed, grumpy, and miserable. I was angry at first, but realized that I need to rethink how I go about projects. I need to be more prepared and plan better. Use misery as a opportunity to reflect and learn a better, more efficient way.
Misery will affect our lives daily, at work, school, etc. I go through daily struggles in our business, but I am willing to be miserable because I have a passion for what we are doing with our business. Misery should fuel our passions and teach us to become problem solvers and better people.
What are you willing to be miserable for?
Comments