On the Simplicity of life

Life is difficult. This is a great truth, one of the greatest truths. - Scott Peck

The title of this article reads counter to the quote by Scott Peck that follows. While the title suggests the easiness of life, the quote implies that life is hard. The title and quote were carefully chosen, not to confuse, but to make a point. The point is that life by default is difficult. Each day presents a new set of challenges we must confront. Those challenges are not meant to frustrate us, but they are necessary for us to live meaningful lives. A life without challenges is boring, dull and unexciting. What brings out the greatness in us is facing the challenges life brings to us every single day. Rather than run away from it, we should embrace it, because therein lies our purpose, our greatness, and our destiny!

The part of Scott Peck’s quote left out was that understanding and embracing the fact that life was meant to be challenging means we can transcend the difficulties. When we face it, it no longer becomes that terrifying monster. Here is the complete quote:

Life is difficult. 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.?

The truth is that life was never meant to be a rollercoaster ride where everyday is a holiday. Besides the necessity of going out to make a living, it is possible to do something meaningful with our lives. Steven Pressfield calls it becoming an Artist, and a Pro. take a sculpture for example. Each day he faces the daunting task of carving out the wonderful figure embedded within a mass. No one else sees it. This task he must accomplish. If he gives up, the figure remains buried inside the mass. The sculptor's work is to reveal the figure. He may procrastinate, get high on alcohol or marijuana. No matter what else he does besides the work of sculpting out the figure, he remains unfulfilled.

We must be artists. Facing life with the resolve of a sculpture means we are no longer intimidated by life, instead we see the challenges posed by life each day as a call for greatness. A call to do work that matters. A call for making our lives meaningful. To the extent that we respond to this call, we view life as simple. Not simple in the sense of being easy, but that when we transcend viewing life as one difficult bitch meant to annihilate us, and embrace it with the lifelong resolve of an artist, life becomes beautiful. Life is beautiful when we are living as pros. As artists. Life is meaningful when we do not let our time frittle away. What makes life beautiful is waking up each day, looking the artistic duties in the eyes, taking a deep breath, and plunging head on!

Alex James

May 11, 2022