THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED

Monday, December 27, 2010

LIFE IS DIFFICULT.

M. Scott Peck, M.D. began his popular and powerful book The Road Less Traveled with those three words: Life is difficult.

And it is. And the sooner we learn this, the better.

Peck goes on to say: "This is a great truth, one of the greatest truths. It is a great truth because once we truly see this truth, we transcend it. Once we truly know that life is difficult--once we truly understand and accept it--then life is no longer difficult. Because once it is accepted, the fact that life is difficult no longer matters."

Most do not fully see this truth that life is difficult. Instead they moan more or less incessantly, noisily or subtly, about the enormity of their problems, their burdens, and their difficulties as if life were generally easy, as if life should be easy.

I began thinking about Peck's words this morning while watching the news coming from our east coast. Blizzard conditions have messed up flights all across the nation. People are stranded all over the place.

You can go home again--just not today. Life is difficult.

Understanding this you apply the first discipline for dealing with the pain of the problem: DELAYING GRATIFICATION. 

It would be gratifying to crawl into your own warm, cozy bed at home. But you can't.

Try curling up on the floor there in the airport and taking a nap.

LIFE IS DIFFICULT.