The Daily Post yesterday (I know it’s daily but the time difference gets me sometimes) asked us to think about ‘no pain no gain’ and if you can attain greatness without hardship.

Welllllll it turns out my mind is flooded now since I read this prompt. First I will refer you to my post: Is That Your Guru?.

You almost nearly can’t attain greatness without hardship. Everyone has to work for greatness. Everyone. I don’t care how easy they make it look or how much natural talent and help they got along the way. Everyone has to work hard to be great. Greatness is an achievement. An achievement is a noun that requires an action people … Aka work! You have to work for what you want.

I have achieved a lot of things that I am very proud of. And looking back… A lotttt of them came with a lot of hard work, sweat, tears, stress and motivation and determination. It is not easy to realize a goal. Not easy at all and anyone who says it is basically has either blocked out the process or is in denial.

This summer I danced in a show called Take the Floor. It’s an Irish dancing show and it was my first taste of the professional Irish dancing world. I LOVED everything about it. But it took me over a year and a half to actually get there. I had a long struggle to get to that stage. I had an injury that caused me to question whether I’d even be able to dance again never mind being in a show.

After surgery and a cast, wheelchair and crutches, missing a month of college and endless 630 am physical therapy sessions, along with a ton of grunt work and a heck of a lot of gusto I conquered it and got back to a point where I could dance again. When I got word that I got into the show I couldn’t believe it. I was so happy. Actually going through the rehearsals and performances was a dream. Even better than being accepted into it.

That’s just the most recent thing I can think of. But there are many and I’m sure anyone who is proud of their accomplishments will tell you the same.

Greatness never comes without hard work and a bitta hardship. Even things that come easy to people (a job that you are totally qualified for and get right away) wouldn’t come to you without whatever work you had previously done to be prepared for that. You can’t tell me it was easy. Because I know it wasn’t. Anybody who wants to be somebody is probably their harshest critic. So that means constantly challenging yourself. That alone is a hardship.

Pride and success feel that much sweeter as well when you have earned them. Hard work is hardship the way I see it. Or it wouldn’t be hard.

So long story short…. Greatness without hardship? A myth at best.

Ps. The title is from a quote that we used to read every day in my mom’a 6th grade class. Followed by- “Good judgement comes from experience, experience comes from bad judgement”- Mark Twain. Thanks mom!

Inspired by The Daily Post: Pains and Gains