The three realities of life

Awesome privilege  to have you again  on this great platform. Today, our focus will be on the three realities of life which I know is common and I want us to know it again. 

The first reality of life is that LIFE IS DIFFICULT. Somehow, people seem to believe that life is supposed to be easy - this is particularly a problem in the Western world today. We expect our lives to be hassle free, we expect the government to solve our problems, we expect to get the prize without having to pay the price. 

That is not reality! Life itself is hard.
The truth is once we accept the fact that life is hard, we begin to grow. We begin to understand that every problem is also an opportunity. It is then that we dig down and discover what we are made  of, we begin to accept the challenges of life, instead of letting our hardship defeat us, we welcome them as a test of character, we use them as a means of rising to the occasion.

At the same time, we need to understand that society bombards us daily with messages that are quite the opposite. The truth is, there is no quick and easy way. Nothing worth having in life comes without efforts. 

In his book “ The Road Less Travelled” M. Scott Peck began it by saying ‘Life is difficult’. He wanted to set the stage for everything else he communicated in the book.
If we don’t understand and accept the truth that life is difficult, then we set ourselves up for failure and we won’t learn.

The second reality is that LIFE IS DIFFICULT FOR EVERYONE.
Even if we are willing to concede that life is difficult for most people, deep down inside many of us secretly hope somehow that this truth won’t apply to us. No matter how pretend we want to be, no one escapes life’s problems, failures and losses.

Aidan Quinn said “Life is hard for everyone. That’s why there’s such a nice reward at the end of it” 

The reality we must accept is, if we are to make progress, we must do so through life’s difficulties.

It was Louis Brandeis that said ‘If you would only recognize that life is hard, things would be so much easier for you’. 

Dear friend, life isn’t easy and it isn’t fair.
Personally, I’ve had unfair things happen to me. I bet you have too. I’ve made mistakes, made a fool of myself, hurt people I’ve loved, experiences. I bet you have too.
The issue is, we cannot avoid life’s difficulties, we shouldn’t even try, because the people who succeed in life don’t try to escape pain, loss or unfairness. They just learn to face those things, accept them, and move ahead in the face of them. 

The third reality of life is the fact that LIFE IS MORE DIFFICULT FOR SOME THAN FOR OTHERS. 

The sooner we face these realities, the better we are going to be at facing whatever is coming towards us. 

Hear me friends, don’t make life harder for yourself.
Your life is probably full of difficulty already. The reality is that you will have to deal with those difficulties already no matter what.
Let me share with you few ways that people make life difficult for themselves and the way out. 

First, LIFE is more difficult for those who stop growing and learning. As you know, some people never make the intentional effort to grow. Some think they will grow automatically, others don’t value growth and just hope to progress in life without pursuing it. For such people, life is more difficult than it would be if they were dedicating themselves to continual improvement. 

Second, LIFE is more difficult for those who don’t think effectively. One of the most striking things that separate people who are successful from those who aren’t is the way they think. Remember thinkers rule the world.
Even God expects you to be a deep thinker, in order to bring solution to any problem on your way. God won’t think for you. It is your responsibility to think your way out of any ugly situation.

Hear this friends, what you have is more than enough, if only you can think enough.
Bishop David Oyedepo usually said “You are not a beggar because you do not have enough, you are borrowing because you cannot think enough.”
Friends, Life will be simplify if only you can create some time to think. And always remember, what you think has the capacity of showing up, either a positive or a negative thought. So think wisely. 

Third, LIFE is more difficult for those who don’t face reality.
Perhaps I may say that the people who have hardest time in life are the ones who refuse to face reality.
As a matter of fact, you must understand of life and then set your goals in life to live above the difficulties of life. 

Finally, LIFE is more difficult for those who are slow to make proper adjustment. 

The constant thing in life they say is change. If you must live above the difficulties of life, then you must get ready to make appropriate adjustments when time demand for such. 

Dear friend, facing reality, maintaining a confident sense of expectations, and performing at your best may not be easy. 

This is when I bring to a close of this week STREAMS OF INSPIRATION, always remember, you got to discover yourself fast, cause there is a room at the top waiting for you.
Thank you for your audience.