I don’t like going through hard times, I just want to get to the solution. Job searches, recovering from an injury, family difficulties; all are just some of the problems that I just want to get past and move onto the solution. Like Bruce Willis in the movie, “The Kid”, when he goes to the psychiatrist and says “Just give me two pills to make the problem go away”. I just want to get to the solution. I want to stay in bed until it’s light outside and pretend the hard time isn’t there. But I’m learning there is a beauty we can see in the hard times; as I was reminded of this on a recent hike I led when we started at 6 am, in the dark, and a temperature in the 30s, so we could catch a sunrise. Like a hard time; it’s dark, uncomfortable, the path isn’t clear, and I just want to walk in the full sunshine. The beauty comes when I begin to embrace the journey. Paying attention to path I’m taking in the dark, feeling the coldness change, and seeing the horizon change (45 miles away) with the sunrise. We stop to watch the sunrise with its beauty reflected in the clouds and sun begin to break the horizon. All things we would miss if we didn’t take time to embrace the beauty of a hard time.
In hiking, am I more concerned about how fast I can do a hike, pushing others on to met my goals, or do I embrace their pace and enjoy the conversation with them as I hike? When I’m doing a hard hike, do I take time to stop and enjoy the beauty of where I’m at or am I so focused on just getting it done. The Manitou Incline is a great example. Am I focused just on getting up the 2700+ steps or do I make stops along the way to turn around and see the beauty of the climb?
In my personal life; many of my hard times come from relationships: family, close friends and organizations (church, professional originations, etc.). Do I ignore problems by “wanting to stay in bed until it’s light outside and pretend the hard time isn’t there?” Or do I embrace the hard time and have the difficult (hard) discussions with those around me. And as I do this, I begin to see the change (beauty) taking place in me as I take the time to work on the necessary restoration. As Timothy Ferriss says in the 4-Hour work week book; “I believe success can be measured in the number of un-comfortable conversations I’m willing to have.”
At work, examples of hard times for me have been being unemployed, needing to take classes to improve my skill set, and working with difficult people. In all these cases the beauty can come by taking time to embrace the journey and see what is taking place around me. For unemployment: what are the different ways I can expand my network, relooking at what do I really want to be doing, or asking myself am I matching a potential job with my strengths and career goals. Do I see classes as something I just want to get through or do I see the beauty in what I can learn along the way? For difficult people, it’s taking the time to observe them. What are their styles and how do I adjust to meet them where they are at in life?
There is a beauty in the hard times we go through if we take the time and effort to see them for what they are. Climbing up a mountain with 1400 vertical feet to see a sunrise 45 miles away on the horizon is the daily reminder I need to remember right now as I’m in my job search. It’s time for me to stop each day to take in the beauty of my job search. What are the hard times you are going through right now and what are you going to change, so you can see the beauty in them?
Al Andersen 