Hardship, in forcing us to exercise greater patience and forbearance in daily life, actually makes us stronger and more robust. From the daily experience of hardship comes a greater capacity to accept difficulties without losing our sense of inner calm. Of course, I do not advocate seeking out hardship as a way of life, but merely wish to suggest that, if you relate to it constructively, it can bring greater inner strength and fortitude.
-Dalai Lama

How often do you hear people complain about how bad things are in their lives? Their relationship sucks, their dog’s farts smell bad, they’re struggling to make ends meet financially, and so on and so forth. It’s always something.

But what if we changed our perspective on hardships and channeled them into positive steps? If we do not have both good and bad in our lives, how would we ever grow as individuals? How would we step outside our comfort zones and truly accomplish good things? Having down times in life allows us to appreciate the good times.

The rags-to-riches story is a common one. You’ve all heard of the NFL star who had a gun held to his head as a delinquent youth, only to dig his way out of the lifestyle through sheer determination and achieve success as a professional athlete.

Hardship gives us the strength to do more for ourselves and our families. Hardship motivates us to achieve what we didn’t think possible. We all need hardship, yet many do not appreciate the struggles for what they are – stepping stones to success. Embrace the hardship. You’ll thank it later.