I meet a lot of people day-to-day. I like people and I am very curious about them. When I’m on the train or the bus, I always tune in to the conversations around me. I like to learn from people; I listen to all the very different perspectives and representations of the world. The best bus rides are when I sit next to an old person. Or a really young child. Old and young people are amazingly honest. They say what they think and they don’t seem to care about things so much.
Each day, I always aim to immerse myself with people I look up to and respect. The types of people who inspire me to keep on evolving, developing and learning about who I am.
I’ve noticed something about these people and I think this is why I like to be around them so much: They’ve walked a really hard road. They’ve stared into the face of immense adversity, and despite this, they’ve just kept on moving directly towards what they want with grit and determination and passion.
There’s a certain ruggedness to these people, a knowing look in their eye. They have open hearts and a depth that can’t be hidden. They’ve experienced huge challenges, and yet somehow have managed to grow throughout the process – developing a strong sense of self – they know who they are in the world and what it is that they want from their life. When times get tough, when life is hard (because life IS hard), they don’t give up.
They.
Don’t.
Give.
Up.
The thing is, we’ve all experienced challenges and hardship in our lives. We all know pain and hurt and fear and loss. Life is never straightforward; we’re constantly tested and thrust into situations that are incredibly uncomfortable and unpleasant. And yet often, it is within these situations – these moments of discomfort and fear and adversity – that we advance the most. We don’t learn anything about ourselves – we don’t get to understand, to know exactly what we’re capable of, to feel ALIVE – when we take the easy way out.