Happy Birthday to weatherman Al Roker, who turns 59 years young today (or tomorrow, if you are reading this on Monday…) I mentioned earlier this year that Henry loves Mr. Roker, and for a few days told us he was going to be a weatherman. In investigating Al, I found out that he is also an author, writing a series of murder mysteries that feature a celebrity chef turned amateur detective. I also learned that he is a first cousin (once removed) to musician Lenny Kravitz.
I recently read a speech by renowned physicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, in which he said this to a group of individuals who were finishing graduate studies in physics. I’m no physicist, but I really like the message in this:
“In whatever you chose to do.
Do it because it’s hard, not because it’s easy.
Math and physics and astrophysics are hard.
For every hard thing you accomplish,
fewer other people are out there
doing the same thing as you.
That’s what doing something hard means.
And in the limit of this,
everyone beats a path to your door
because you’re the only one around
who understands the impossible concept
or who solves the unsolvable problem.”
I love the beginning of this: “…whatever you choose to do, do it because it is hard, not because it is easy…” I spoke with a student a few days ago about what they were going to do for a career, and all this individual talked to me about was finding the least strenuous way to get through life and make money. I think that if we as educators perpetuate the idea that the pinnacle of careers are those that are easy, we are really missing the boat.
Jobs should be challenging; they should be tough. I know mine is, and I know yours is, regardless of what you do. But it is that difficulty, those “oh crap, this is tough” moments that make you grow as a person. Every skill I have, everything marketable that I bring to any career, comes from initially not knowing how to do something.
So when you do difficult things, just like Dr. Tyson says, you separate yourself from others and stand out; but I think more importantly, you separate yourself from what you were yesterday, last year, even an hour ago; every day you change, and when you challenge yourself by doing difficult things, that change is known by another name, improvement. And by continuing to perpetuate those seemingly small positive changes, you begin to understand what we are talking about when we discuss pursuing excellence. As I grow, it has become evident to me that when you do things that are difficult, when you do things even though doing them may intimidate or frighten you, you distinguish the present you from the past you. And forget what other people think about those changes; what is most important is what this feeling of accomplishment does for your own sense of well-being.
So to review, don’t shy away from the tough stuff, whether it is an abrasive co-worker, a difficult task, or 3rd period Algebra. It is the tough stuff, the difficulties, that will shape the rough rock that is you into something smooth, polished, and tough. Find something you are passionate about, work incredibly hard at it, and cherish the difficulties of what you do; those are just the things that end up defining who you are!