This morning, I was listening to the latest Rich Roll podcast with Hellah Sidibe and Rich said something that stood out to me—it was something simple and common.

“Life is hard.”

Being a big believer that the words we choose matter and can quietly shape our reality—or maybe they quietly reveal our inner worlds, I cringed (not sure if that’s the right word, but I had a reaction) when I heard Rich say it.

No doubt that life doesn’t always go smoothly, and there are times when we are tested. And yes, “hard” is a valid adjective to use. But, I also think that it is used too often and ends up becoming an excuse for not pursuing what we feel called to.

I thought to my Self that life isn’t hard; it’s just life…”life is life.”

If you listen to the interview, Hellah shares a similar mindset to mine. I’ll let you check that out and see if you see the similarities to what you read here on the Daily Notes—another moment where there’s a little jealousy that I’m not chopping it up with Rich Roll, but in due time.

Back to “life is life.”

You were never promised that life would be easy, smooth, or perfect. It’s full of ups and downs, trials and tribulations, and yes, some people seem to have a rougher path than others—maybe that’s where you find your Self.

Life isn’t easy or hard.

It’s just life—full of everything.

The next time you’re going through a rough spell, instead of falling back on the belief that life is hard, remind your Self that life is life—it’s all a part of the experience, and while in the moment it doesn’t seem like it, the rough spells are where we learn and grow.

If you tell your Self that life is hard, it will be.

If you tell your Self that life if life, and that the rough spell is a part of the experience, it’ll feel less rough before long.

I know Rich meant no harm by acknowledging that carrying a mindset and outlook on life like Hellah—he was most likely trying to sympathize with those who cannot see life through Hellah’s perspective, to include them in the conversation. My concern, given the power and reach of his voice, is that some listeners will continue to be stuck in the “hard” perspective because of the confirmation from Rich.

It might seem silly to put so much meaning behind words, but my experience has shown me that they matter, and what we tell our Selves has a better chance of becoming our truth. So yes, saying “life is life” is another way of saying “life is hard”, but it’s also a way of saying that “life is beautiful, precious, amazing, breathtaking, joyful…” because it’s all of it.

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See you tomorrow and keep pursuing,

JC