Hardship

In everyday life, we have a tendency to resist hardship, and to complain about it.  We do what we can to avoid it.  But as we know, when we put the body through a workout, it grows stronger.  If we go to the gym, we actually accept the hard work, there is no mental resistance to it.  Why do we treat the body one way, but when it comes to our psychology, it’s a different story?

A closer examination reveals just how much our psyche plays into it.  When we look at hardship, we see that physical hardship is external but psychological hardship is internal.  Climbing a mountain or navigating stairs with joint arthritis are physical hardships, but the associated suffering is mental.  How can one person enjoy a steep hike while another abhors it?  The physical challenge is the same but our stories about it differ wildly.  We cannot control physical hardships; it’s just the planet’s gravity.  But we have more control what is going on inside our heads.

The body gets better with use, and conversely, it stagnates with lethargy.  Being willing makes exercise joyful, even if hard, and being unwilling turns it into suffering.  If it’s a question of will, then it’s up to us, isn’t it?  What we call “hardship” is a label we have placed on an otherwise neutral activity.  It’s all in the mindset.

Psychological hardships are entirely internal, they are not dictated by the laws of physics.  So, we should have much more control over them.  We do need to work on it, but we are not helpless.  It’s a matter of deconditioning, letting go of our contractions, and all pre-conceptions.  It’s a matter of finding a little space between our awareness and that unique jumble of thoughts and emotions that we have identified ourselves with.

Here’s a link to some quotes about hardship:  https://celebrateyoga.org/45-quotes-hardships/

Watch Video Here: (11) How Hardships Can Make You Stronger | Sadhguru – YouTube