Sometimes There’s Only the Hard Way
Sometimes there’s not a better way. Sometimes there’s only the hard way. – Mary E. Pearson
One of the qualities needed when facing the hard challenges of life is endurance.
Endurance is…
…the act, quality, or power of withstanding hardship or stress; the state or fact of persevering; continuing existence.
Endurance is the quality that keeps you digging even when you don’t know how much farther you have to go. Endurance is witnessed in the athlete running a marathon that requires grit and stamina to get to the finish line.
Keep on Digging
Which of the two diggers can you identify with? I can relate to both of them depending on which situation I think of. I want to be the guy on the top but I’ve been the guy on the bottom as well.
We are all called upon to move dirt and do hard things from time to time. The key is to stick with the work that is right before us and do the next hard thing. The hard thing might be waiting, grieving, healing, treatment, forgiveness, study, listening, loving.
If you or someone you care about is half way through a hard time of digging, keep going. Don’t give up! You may need to stop for a rest but find a reason to keep going and keep on digging.
Shackleton’s Story of Taking the Hard Way
One of the stories that stokes the fire of endurance and courage for me when traveling the hard way is the story of Ernest Shackleton’s Trans-Antarctic Expedition.
After their ship was trapped and then crushed in the ice, Shackleton led the other members of his team on a heroic journey across the ice on foot and then through perilous seas in lifeboats. Their ordeal lasted 634 days, in some of the harshest weather conditions on the planet.
Under Shackleton’s exceptional leadership, the crew maintained hope in circumstances that would have demoralized most other people. There is one lesson we can learn from Shackleton and his crew.
The Lesson: Focus on a tangible action that keeps you moving forward
One behavior that strikes a chord with me was their ability to keep their eyes off their desperate situation and focused on tangible action. When they focused their energy on activities they could do together, they kept their minds off the horrific conditions all around them.
While trapped on the ice, Shackleton had his men march a little every day. Even though their progress was slow, it was better to keep moving than to sit down and “wait for the tardy northwesterly drift to take them out of this cruel waste of ice.”
When I compare my grief journey to Shackleton’s predicament, I found small ways to keep moving and did hard things whenever they stood in my way. I found meaning in my loss by encouraging others. I found small tasks to do that gave me purpose and kept me from sitting around and feeling sorry for myself.
What does taking tangible action look like for you?
“The very act of doing something concrete creates a sense of momentum, and a series of small victories will lay the foundation for eventual success.” - Dennis Perkins, Leading at the Edge
Three decisions that will help you take the hard way
Reset your destination and find a new target to focus on
Believe you can endure beyond what you thought possible
Find a way to “keep moving” so you don’t get discouraged by inaction
Note: If you’re interested in reading about the Shackleton expedition, check out Dennis N.T. Perkins book, Leading at the Edge: Leadership Lessons from the Extraordinary Saga of Shackleton’s Antarctic Expedition, 2nd ed.
