365 Days With Self-Discipline: 365 Life-Altering Thoughts on Self-Control, Mental Resilience, and Success

WEEK 51

Day 351: On Admitting You’re Struggling

To cut out every negative root would simultaneously mean choking off

positive elements that might arise from it further up the stem of the plant.

We  should  not  feel  embarrassed  by  our  difficulties,  only  by  our  failure  to

grow anything beautiful from them.

—Alain de Botton

 

351

I often talk about my failures in my books because I want my readers

to  understand  that  hardships  are  an  inherent  part  of  the  process.  If

somebody  claims  they’re  successful  but  they’ve  never  failed,  you  can  be

sure they’re lying.

Whenever you’re dealing with problems and struggling to stick to your

goals, don’t be afraid to share your troubles with others and reach out for

help.  You  might  feel  tempted  to  protect  your  ego  and  demonstrate  that

you’re infallible, but doing so is counterproductive.

Denying that you have problems — or denying that you could use help

or support — doesn’t make you better than a person who publicly admits

that things aren’t going well and is looking for assistance.

In the end, there’s nothing to be ashamed of when you’re struggling.

The  only  shame  is  in  failing  to  recognize  your  problems  because  that’s

when you miss out on some of the most valuable opportunities to grow.

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