Finding Purpose in Abundance

There’s a quote from the book Those Who Remain that has stuck with me: “Hard times create strong men, strong men create good times, good times create weak men, and weak men create hard times.” It resonates deeply, not because my life has been hard, but because, like so many of us privileged few, I’ve found myself questioning the meaning of strength and resilience in times of abundance. When life offers comfort, success, and blessings, the search for purpose and drive becomes more nuanced.

I grew up understanding that struggle could be a catalyst for growth, that adversity shapes us into stronger versions of ourselves. I saw it in my parents, immigrants who sacrificed to give their children a better life. Their resilience in navigating a new country, finding work, and raising a family in an environment where they were often met with racism and discrimination was nothing short of remarkable. They built strong foundations that afforded me many opportunities. I was surrounded by stability, abundance, and every chance to succeed. For that, I’m forever grateful.

But I’ve come to realize that living in the good times—when the struggles aren’t immediate, when the path is smoother—can lead to an unexpected challenge: complacency. When comfort becomes the norm, it’s easy to lose the drive that hardship ignites. It’s not that we forget the importance of resilience, but we can become detached from it. This has been a recurring theme in my personal and professional life. I’ve been blessed to have had a number of fulfilling work experiences - opportunities that allowed me to make an impact. Yet, there are moments when I wonder if I’m pushing hard enough—if I’m challenging myself or simply coasting through the good times. Is my drive weakening because I’m not facing the kind of obstacles my parents did?

Searching for meaning in times of abundance is its own challenge. It’s easy to feel like you’re losing touch with the grit that shaped the generations before you, that the strength you’ve built could wither in the absence of adversity. More so when you’re raising children and wanting to give them everything they want and need, as well. But I’ve realized that resilience doesn’t have to come from external struggle. It can come from the inner work of staying engaged with our purpose, staying humble, and remembering that the blessings we enjoy aren’t just for us—they are tools for us to build something greater.

The cycle described in that quote reminds me that it’s easy to fall into complacency when times are good, to become "weak men" when we lose the sense of purpose that hard times naturally bring out in us. The trick, I believe, is to create our own purposeful struggles. To seek out the challenges that refine us. For me, it’s been about pushing my limits in leadership, taking on responsibilities that feel daunting, and staying committed to growth, even when I could easily sit back and enjoy the fruits of my labor. It’s about finding meaning in service to others, using my strengths not just for personal gain but to uplift those around me. In this way, we can remain strong even in times of abundance.

So, as I reflect on where I am today, I see the importance of embracing discomfort. It’s in those moments of discomfort that we find our purpose again. And while we may not always face the same external challenges as those who came before us, we must create new ways to test ourselves, and to deal with our own adversities. Our blessings don’t have to weaken us; they can empower us to create the next wave of strength—for ourselves, for our families, and for our communities.

In times of good, I remind myself to stay hungry for growth, to stay vigilant in the pursuit of purpose. That’s where the real strength lies: in not allowing the blessings of abundance to lull us into weakness, but instead, using them as fuel for the next challenge, the next goal, the next opportunity to build something meaningful. In that pursuit, I find my purpose, my drive, and my resilience.