The Tough Road
“I shall be telling this with a sigh, somewhere ages and ages hence, two roads diverged in a wood, and I, I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference”. (Robert Frost).
One day I was sitting, thinking, seriously I was lost in thoughts. Reflecting, reminiscing, I love to introspect a lot, recollecting facts and I pondered and wondered like a puzzle that needed solving, I asked myself; why are there only few successful individuals on planet earth? Was it ordained this way by God? Were some men predestined to be more successful than others? What separates the best from the rest?
Was it luck, because I don’t believe it to be, though you can argue that some are more fortunate than the others. I can’t sit still and wonder why some men shine more than the others.
In the music industry, dated back to the 90s, the late rapper Tupac Shakur was the most famous, successful and also the most influential rapper even unto this day, what was he doing that other musicians in his time didn’t do? Why did he outshine all of them, and to round it all his influence lingers even till this day.
Still lost in thoughts, like a flash I came back to my senses, I thought about Christiano Ronaldo, Bill Gates and Warren Buffett and immediately I realized that the top 1% of individuals who succeeds are more passionate than the rest of us.
We want what everyone wants “success, money, power”, but these 1% of individuals don’t just want or talk, they do, they do more, they go the extra mile, they take the road less traveled; the tough road.
Becoming successful in your field of interest requires a large amount of self discipline. Consistency. Can you work towards your goals even in the days you don’t feel like? Can you work day in and day out even when life throws it’s rough tantrums at you, the rough sailing days?
To become a high valued man, you need to become disciplined to the core. As I write I speak to myself too. I’m a big believer in discipline and hardwork because I know they are the keys to success. I heard some saying it’s not how hard you work but how smart you work, they forgot; even smart work requires a whole lot of brain work, a whole lot of thinking, planning and organizing. You can ask the strategist.
The Tough Road, the road filled with thorns, pains, tears, hurts, challenges, setbacks, loneliness, etc. No wonder people desire the easy way even though there are little or no benefits. No wonder people are afraid to step out of their comfort zones. No wonder people are afraid of change because they are aware of the discomfort that comes along with it. No wonder people are afraid of quitting their 9–5 jobs.
No wonder people are afraid to start their own business. The fear of failure and rejection. No wonder the sky is always scanty because people are afraid of making that move, that bold step. No wonder the top 1% are only but 1% because to reach the top requires a whole load of sacrifice. Be comfortable with discomfort for in due time comfort would be your abode.
Fear not the road less traveled cuz the few who took it are but a testimony to themselves. Fear not the hard way, though filled with stones and thorns, is the surest known way to paradise. We are taught from childhood that the hard way is the way if you really want to accomplish something worthwhile in life
The tough road is always acquiring new competences, being curious and constantly trying new things. The tough road also means committing yourself to lifelong learning.
If you don’t go to very difficult roads, you will only reach places where everyone reaches. When the going gets tough only the tough gets going and when the tough gets going only the toughest survive. Keep going, difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations. The more difficult the victory, the greater the happiness in winning.
The grindings, the bindings, the bondings, the sleepless nights, the extra mile, the huge effort, the challenges, the failings; these are requirements requested by the Tough Road.
It is not for the shallow in mind. It is not for the weak minded. The tough road is not for those who are unwilling to pay the price. The price of success. The hard way is not for those who do not believe in what will be, neither is it for those who do not wish to work for what will be.
The tough road is for those who are willing to push through their falls and walls, it is for those who would never give up no matter the matter. The road not taken is only for those who believe in the grind, those who have faith in the struggle, those who are unwilling to waver in times of turbulence. The road less traveled is for those who are unshaken in the face of adversity.
“He worked by day and toiled by night. He gave up play and some delight. Dry books he read, new things to learn, and forged ahead, success to earn. He plodded on with faith and pluck; And when he won, Men called it luck”.