The Optimistic Outlook with John Eades It's Difficult When It's Unfamiliar
Apr 25, 2025
Facing unfamiliar challenges can be daunting, but it's the persistence that transforms us, not the difficulty of the tasks. Inspired by Ralph Waldo Emerson, the discussion emphasizes the strength gained through tackling tough situations. Like push-ups, these challenges may remain hard, but repeated effort builds resilience. Remember, the mountains in front of us become less imposing as we continue to confront them. Keep pushing forward!
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Difficulty Comes from Unfamiliarity
- Facing unfamiliar tasks feels difficult because your strength for them is low initially.
- Persistence increases your capacity, making the same task easier over time without the task itself changing.
Strength Grows, Difficulty Shrinks
- Difficulty does not diminish because the task changes, but because your power to perform it increases.
- Strengthening yourself effectively shrinks the size of your challenges, not the challenges themselves.
Push-up Example of Growth
- Doing 20 push-ups may seem impossible at first but becomes easier with twice-daily practice.
- This example shows that the task stays hard but your strength and ability grow.