It’s so easy to become nothing

Easy doesn't build legends.

Everyone we aspire to be - our childhood heroes, the people we genuinely admire - became legends because they overcame great difficulties.

Because sacrifice and self-denial are the true bedrock of greatness.

But when everyone seeks endless pleasure and self-gratification, it's easy to become nothing.

We're wired for instant everything now.

Amazon Prime next-day delivery. Netflix binges. TikTok dopamine hits.

Everything designed to minimise friction, effort, resistance.

The path of least resistance has become the default mode of existence.

But what we've forgotten is that greatness is about overcoming.

Whether it's athletes, artists, people who've lived through genuine tragedy - the ones we truly admire all share the same quality.

They chose the difficult path when easier options were available.

They embraced discomfort when comfort was within reach.

They did hard things consistently while everyone else looked for shortcuts.

But today, we're inclined toward Amazon Prime mentality in every area of life.

Want to build a business? Look for the "easy" method.

Want to get in shape? Find the quickest fix.

Want to learn a skill? Search for the "effortless" approach.

None of us will do anything meaningful unless we break from this softness and embrace the hard.

I don’t mean toxic productivity culture or grinding yourself into the ground.

More so - recognising that meaningful achievements require you to choose discomfort over comfort, growth over stagnation, long-term satisfaction over immediate gratification.

The creator economy perfectly illustrates this tension, I think.

Everyone sees the highlight reels - the viral videos, the brand deals, the apparent overnight success stories.

What they don't see are the thousands of hours of content creation that went nowhere.

The months of building audience with no income.

The psychological resilience required to keep creating when nothing seems to be working.

Most people quit during the difficult middle phase.

When the initial excitement wears off but the results haven't materialised yet.

When it stops being fun and starts feeling like work.

I mean - this applies to literally everything worth doing.

Building genuine expertise in any field requires years of deliberate practice that often feels frustrating and slow.

Developing meaningful relationships requires vulnerability and emotional risk that's inherently uncomfortable.

Creating something valuable requires sustained effort through periods when progress feels invisible.

But we live in a culture that's forgotten how to be uncomfortable.

We've optimised everything for ease and convenience, then wonder why nothing feels meaningful or satisfying.

The antidote isn't suffering for its own sake.

It's choosing the harder path when you know it leads somewhere worthwhile.

Leave the beach for the mountains.

Climb and do something.

The people you admire didn't get there through life hacks and shortcuts.

They got there by consistently choosing difficulty over ease, delayed gratification over immediate pleasure, meaningful challenge over comfortable routine.

Where everything is designed to be effortless, effort itself becomes a competitive advantage.

Most people will read this and nod along, then go back to seeking the comfortable path.

But if you're serious about building something meaningful - whether that's a business, a skill, a relationship, or just becoming someone you're proud to be - you know what you need to do.

Choose the mountain over the beach.

Lock in.

Remember, the creator mindset is all you need to grow 🌱

Did someone forward this to you? Sign up here to get the next one straight to your inbox.

If this email landed in your spam or promotions folder, move it to your primary inbox so you never miss an update from me.