Good Things Are Hard, but Hard Things Are Great

A mentor once told me “Good things are hard but hard things are great.”  It always stuck with me, sadly though he passed away before I could put his great mentorship and guidance to use.  I often think of him in a lot of my daily interactions and regret losing touch as my career took me on a new path.  I share this because I feel his message warrants a larger stage, so with that I’ll keep this as short and to the point as I can.

When you’ve failed a test, missed out on a career, didn’t get the promotion or are dealing with personality conflicts within your profession and/or your personal life.  Think those words.

Good things are hard… you want something, well it’s not easy to just get it.  There will be failures, there will be setbacks and there most certainly will be times where you have self-doubt.  Finances are tight, you argue with your spouse, you and a coworker don’t see eye to eye… this is the hard.  You deal with a bully or you lost out on an opportunity that you hoped would come through… this is the hard.  People misunderstand you or you secretly wonder “when is my time gonna come?”… this is the hard.  Life is all about being hard, the Fire Service is a hard job, not everyone can do what we do.  Competing for promotions is hard, trying to fit in with the crew is hard.  This is okay, you know why?  Because good things are hard.

As you venture through all of these obstacles and setbacks, you will come to satisfaction, if you seek the opportunity to lead, you will one day, if you seek the opportunity to improve the process or change the status quo, you will on day.  And once that day comes you can look back and see where you started, how hard it all was and savor it because that is what makes it so great.  Good things are hard, yes they are but if you want something bad enough and are willing to dedicate yourself to your goals, you will be able to achieve great things. 

Hard things are great because the hard is what gives us the appreciation for what we’ve done with our lives.  Good things are hard but hard things are great.  Enjoy life and being a part of this amazing lifestyle we call the Fire Service!

In all that you do, God bless, take care and stay safe!

Dave McGlynn

Passion in Leading, LLC

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