Expecting the worst is easy, but believing things will get better is hard. Jumping into freezing cold water is easy, but staying in the water is hard. Jumping out of a plane is easy, but keeping grounded is hard. Downing a naggin of vodka while chatting shit with friends is easy, but vulnerably chatting with friends about emotions sober is hard. Dancing all night and talking to strangers about life is easy, but dancing in front of the mirror and facing the struggles in life is hard. Flying to a new place is easy, but committing to one place is hard. Being independent is easy, but relying on others is hard. Drunken karaoke on stage is easy, but standing on a stage sober and receiving attention is hard. Trying new things is easy, but committing to mastering one thing is hard. Pushing myself is easy, but being kind to myself is hard. Criticizing my behavior is easy, but praising my efforts is hard. Finding a man is easy, but trusting a man is hard. Turning the phone off is easy, but answering all the unopened messages is hard. Getting lost in a crowd is easy, but sitting at a table with the same people for the night is hard. Accepting the inevitability of death is easy, but the thought of losing more people in my life is hard. Loving people is easy, but letting them love me is hard. Scoffing my face with popcorn and chocolate is easy, but only eating when I’m hungry is hard. Swiping left and right is easy, but asking myself what I want and what I like about myself is hard. Binge watching a series is easy, but reading a few pages of a book every day is hard. Pulling an allnighter is easy, but going to bed early and waking up early is hard. Cramming the work is easy, but doing little bits consistently and knowing when to stop is hard. Memorizing all the words to songs is easy, but singing the words in front of others is hard. Feeling guilty is easy, but forgiving myself is hard. Saying sorry to others is easy, but letting them be pissed off is hard. Doing one intense gym session weekly is easy, but exercising daily is hard. Believing others’ criticism is easy, but believing their compliments is hard. Saying yes to others is easy, but saying yes to myself is hard. Chasing the next thing is easy, but enjoying this thing in the present is hard. Going at it alone is easy, but asking for help is hard. Smiling and laughing with others is easy, but crying in front of another is hard. Crying in front of the mirror is easy, but smiling in front of the mirror is hard. Seeing the struggle is easy, but seeing the beauty is hard. Writing about my emotions is easy, but talking about them is hard.

I believe the more you do the hard, the easier it gets. The less you choose the easy option, the harder it gets to go back to your old ways. What’s easy for you might be hard for me. What’s hard for me might be easy for you. What’s easy today might be hard tomorrow. Every day we are learning, growing, and redefining our understanding of what’s easy and hard. Sometimes we are confined by limiting beliefs we have always told ourselves about what’s easy and what’s hard. Sometimes it takes writing these out on a page as the first step to facing them. Nothing in life will ever be full bliss and ease. If you can, choose what is worth suffering for. Choose your ‘hard’ parts, but make sure to go easy on yourself in the process.