Hard Choices, Easy Life. Easy Choices, Hard Life.
For the people who are familiar with this saying, it seems it came from the Stoic tradition of Philosophy. I’m not a Philosophy major to discuss this, but I will tell you my story why I like this quote, or saying, or piece, whatever you call it.
I have a kid who wants to play basketball to the next level. Whenever there’s a practice, he is excited.
It was the same with soccer, when he first play soccer with his friends in third grade of so. He played because he enjoy it with his friends. Today though, around four years of playing, he doesn’t wanna play soccer anymore.
When I asked why, there’s no more passion, he said. It wasn’t the same as before when he runs to the field that he is really pumped up.
He still loves basketball. Just a week ago, he made a 3-point buzzer beater that propels his team to the finals (they lost to a better team in the finals though).
The thing is I always preach to him to cross train with soccer and basketball. You are still too young to concentrate in one sports that your muscles will be in danger of over use.
Then boredom.
Because you are not improving.
This is what I told him, “If you wanna be better in basketball: Don’t quit soccer yet.”
My idea is that if you stick to a plan, even though it’s hard to stick with it, you are training your mind to do hard choices than easy choices.
Hard choices leads to easy life.
In my kid’s room, there’s a poster of Muhammad Ali
The poster says, “Train now, suffer now, and you’ll live a champion the rest of your life”.
I asked my son, an 11 year old kid, you have a choice, you can practice soccer or play Fortnite.
