The American President, John F. Kennedy, stated in his "Address at Rice University on the Nation's Space Effort" that "We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard." These words taught me a lesson that I learn again and again every time I put on my running shoes. Difficult things are worth doing because of the difficulty, not despite the difficulty. Running is said to be 90% mental and 10% physical. I have learned that running is all about mental fitness and running fast means engaging the mind to help improve the physical limitations of the body. I have experienced first had that running fast means constant mental engagement. This is why we perceive things as hard. Mental toughness is something that spans across all matters of life, and, in a way, defines our personality. Mental fitness is like physical fitness in the sense that you can be stronger in som...
Today I went rock climbing with my brother. Why humans get excited to endure intense physical pain eludes me (even as a runner), but climb we did nonetheless. I learned that it is beneficial to go through hard and trying times especially ones that force you out of the realm of comfort. Even if we fall short, the path that we take to reach the intended goal can be just as if not more life changing as the goal itself. The best part about the pain we experience in life, is the relief they bring afterward. Better than just generic, relaxed idleness, rest is something that rejuvenates an individuals drive to thrive, to touch, to speak, to listen, and to feel. No feeling is more natural or comfortable to humanity than that of pain and discomfort. This very feeling is an idea that has brought the most beautiful times to earth. This is the meaning of life, to experience that which is tried most in life to avoid. The most important people in the history of mankind share the trait of comfort i...