Life Is Hard

I believe that a person can exist or they can live. And there's a big difference between the two. Someone that merely exists does not strive to be a better person today than they were yesterday. They probably don't want to achieve great things and if they do, they are not willing to do what it takes to achieve them.

I've spent long periods of my life existing and not living, and it's a terrible feeling. The path of least resistance is what most people take, myself included. I've come to the realization that life is hard. 

Life is hard because it's a never-ending challenge to overcome negative thought patterns and the inherent laziness of humans. There's no quick fix where you can make a few changes to your life and then just coast the rest of the way. You have to be relentless in your desire to be a better person every day. 

I've been committed to self-improvement for many years but it's only been in the last 6 months that I've been able to grasp the importance of incremental progress; the idea that consistent effort over a long period of time adds up to great things. I used to be in the habit of giving up when things got rough. The last few months have been frustrating at times for me but I've tried to continue to come to class even if I can't participate, and keep up with my training, even if it's just a few form reps and nothing else. This has made me realize two things: 1) I'm probably never going to be satisfied with my progress, but more importantly, 2) the consistent effort has produced results. 

I think I'm finally starting to appreciate the journey that I'm on and focus less on the destination.

http://kungfucory.blogspot.ca/