Having Some Troubles In Life Is Very Good

Why are there more movies about people braving hardships, overcoming challenges and living an action-filled lives? In fact, the movies that win Academy awards are usually movies with a hero, someone overcoming tough troubles.

And it's same with the novels we enjoy reading and the lives we most admire. I have never heard of anyone whose role model is a king with an inherited throne. That's why Hollywood make movies about kings, centuries ago, who fought their way to kingship even though we still have kings in our modern world who are even richer. I am yet to see an award winning, or even  popular movie, about the super rich kings and princes in oil rich Middle East.

My Facebook wall is filled with inspiring videos of people doing the almost impossible, from America's got talent participants to construction/civil engineers. Having some troubles in life is good, better when it's even troubles you find for yourself. Pick a goal that looks too big for you and go after it.

image: csmonitor.com

I find that I am most productive when I am being furiously chased by a deadline, when it looks like it will take only a miracle to not fail. And usually I get that miracle. I do what I have been trying to for five days in just two hours. My brain works like it's not the very one I have been trying to use all those five days. My best works are more the result of deadline induced creativity than planned/diligent work.

In retrospect, the periods of my life that have most shaped me are the ones I had the most troubles. My most defining moments are my toughest moments. I am more grateful for them, even if I don't pray to face them again, than I am for my life-is-easy moments.

Occasionally, people ask me if being on my own, as an entrepreneur, is getting me as much as I could if I were to go after a paid employment with my new acquired expertise. I try to rephrase the question because when you are an entrepreneur, it's a lot more than the money/income. There's the joy of executing any idea that pops into your head. There's the thrill of facing and overcoming challenges. There are the numerous threats and uncertainties that fill you with daily vigor. There are so many troubles that you either die (business-wise) or flourish. No in-between. You can never find an entrepreneur who feels his career has plateaued. Or who feels his life is boring and lacking in motivation. Rather you'll see an entrepreneur who's either very happy because business is good or very sad because business is bad. But never laid back. And that is the one thing that makes me never consider going back to a paid employment. It's now no longer about the money but the invigorating troubles.

Too much trouble is terrible and can be killing, but I will rather risk having too much troubles than having too little troubles. Having some troubles in life is very good.

Do you agree?