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In life there are things that happen to you and things you can choose to make happen. Among those you can master you can choose to have a passive, neutral or active attitude. And when you decide to deal with them actively you can also decide how far to go. In short: you can decide how determinedly you can react, at least with respect to those things you can change. As James Lawrence did.
JamesLawrence was born in Calgary, Canada. In 2005, he signed up for a 4-mile race on Thanksgiving Day. He is shocked to see so many people whizzing past him. Some even pass him pushing a stroller. He realizes that physically he has a lot to improve on. He decides to throw himself headlong into sports: swimming, cycling and running. A few years later he starts competing in the short Ironman distances. To motivate himself, he chooses to combine personal challenges with charity fundraising. Something important to motivate him in moments when he would like to give up. In 2010 he completes 22 Half Ironman distance triathlons, raising money to build dams in Africa. In 2015 he takes on an even more impossible challenge, the 50 50 50 project. 50 triathlon races, in 50 days, in 50 different American states. Raising funds for a foundation committed to the issue of youth obesity. James begins to be known around the world as the Iron Cowboy.
A few months ago he shared a post, found by chance on the web, very much in line with his story.
English version (which perhaps renders better than the translation)
Marriage is hard. Divorce is hard. Choose your hard.
Obesity is hard. Being fit is hard. Choose your hard.
Being in debt is hard. Being financially disciplined is hard. Choose your hard.
Communication is hard. Not communicating is hard. Choose your hard.
Life will never be easy. It will always be hard. But we can choose our hard.
Pick wisely.
Sure, a message that could be the text of a commercial. But rereading it leaves several reflections. Everything costs effort, both doing it and not doing it. True. I would just feel like adding that there are also difficulties, challenges, events that happen that we don’t choose. So one could change “choose your difficulties” to “choose your difficulties, in situations where you can choose.”