“None is stronger than a person who has faced and triumphed over painful hardships. Such a person can become a real friend and ally to those who are truly suffering.” – Daisaku Ikeda
As I get older and wiser, I often find myself searching for meaning in all the incredible hardships of my life. Although I have a broad spectrum of pursuits as an entrepreneur, being a musician could arguable be one of the most difficult careers of all time.
At times I would compare myself to a chum from school days who just rolled through life without a whole lot of struggles and seemed to come out smelling like roses… got the hot wife, got loads of loot in the bank, you know all those Western versions of happiness, which experienced myself in my twenties during a stint as a vulture venture capitalist.
But when I took a deeper look at my buddy, and many others who appear to have it all, I notice things aren’t so rosy after all. In fact the mere absence of struggle has a knack for making people really weak in the face of temptation like adultery, drugs and slander.
But what I realized is that when you’ve really struggled and triumphed over massive challenges, you peel away some of those superficial layers and see the true meaning of life, which is to grow and expand beyond the reach of your struggles; to become undefeatable in the face of adversity. And live your life for the greater good.
What happens after years of this, if you haven’t already experienced it, is when you encounter these people who appear to have it all figured out, you see right through the illusion to the pain and emptiness that lies deep within the confines of a tarnished mirror. You see that although they may not be evolving, they have the potential to polish their mirror and become truly happy. At that point all you can do is lead by example and pray for their awakening.
Wednesday Wisdom #41
Every Wednesday I post a killer quote to keep you at the top of your game!