It’s Supposed to be Hard [Podcast]

The more I learn, the more I see one recurring truth. There’s one consistent reality we face every day:

Life is hard.

Most recently, I was reminded by our four-year old, MJ.

We were at an outdoor concert and there was a large group of kids playing in front of the stage, a few of whom MJ knew. As he approached them to play, it was obvious that they were already engaged and had little interest in him. Defeated, MJ walked over to his mom and said, “Mom, they don’t want to play with me.”

With some motherly encouragement, my wife said, “Matthew, tell them you want to play.”

MJ doubled his efforts.

Denied. Still, no interest.

This sweet, heartbroken four-year-old walked up to his mom and said, “Mom, this is just so hard.”

You know what, he was absolutely right.

One reality we must come to understand is that, all too often, life is hard. Especially in the context of redefining rich.

On today’s podcast, I share some thoughts on the topic and encouragement to reflect upon.

CHALLENGE: Often, one of the best things for us to do when times are tough is to come alongside someone else who, we know, is going through a difficult time. And I don’t mean misery loves company. Think of it as the best way to heal yourself is to help someone else heal. When you comfort someone in need, the blessing is two-fold. It returns to you. Comfort someone today.

Don’t forget, I am incredibly grateful for your willingness to leave a review on iTunes.

Click HERE if you’d like to help

Also, you can join the Live Richly Community on Facebook to carry on the conversation there

Join the LRC

Have an awesome day!

MH

Welcome to www.MattHam.com. While you're here, we'd love for you to look around. Check out the podcast, blog posts, devotional series, and speaking videos through the links above. We're here to help you navigate the good-life crisis. Because, we believe, being rich has far more to do with your heart than your wallet.

, ,

14 Responses to It’s Supposed to be Hard [Podcast]

  1. Steven Tessler September 22, 2014 at 8:12 am #

    Great show again!!

    Life is hard, but as I get older I see a different perspective on many things.

    Seeing it this way makes it easier. At work I’m working by myself sometimes and I have to remember that the difficult parts only last a moment and will become easier in time. It’s getting past the difficult part that can be sometimes frustrating.

    Thanks again for your awesome and inspiring work!!

    • Matt Ham September 23, 2014 at 7:03 pm #

      Keep pressing onward, Steven. With the right perspective, the challenges make us appreciate everything else.

  2. Tom Morris September 22, 2014 at 9:22 am #

    Life is hard. I believe those were the famous first words of one of the all time bestselling books, The Road Less Traveled. Matt, you are helping a lot of people redefine rich by walking down a road less traveled these days. And to ponder things like the little difficulties of life is important. In one of my favorite books ever, The Measure of My Days, an elderly woman, Florida Scott Maxwell says that as she looks back on her life, she sees that the most difficult things in her journey, the things she least liked, gave rise to the most valuable things in her own character, the things she treasures the most. Even the hard things can contribute to our riches.

    • Matt Ham September 23, 2014 at 7:06 pm #

      Tom, thanks for the book recommendation. I will have to give it a look. Always appreciate you being here.

  3. Tammy Helfrich September 22, 2014 at 3:39 pm #

    So true. I have so many people around me going through some HARD times right now. Looking outward is a great way to help yourself during hard times.

    • Matt Ham September 23, 2014 at 7:01 pm #

      I know you’re caring for them well, Tammy. I LOVE what you wrote in LRC yesterday. Many people are going through incredibly difficult things we’ll never know anything about. So true!

  4. Claire McLean September 22, 2014 at 8:25 pm #

    really looking forward to listening to this one!

  5. Jon Stallings September 25, 2014 at 10:56 am #

    Great thoughts Matt, – I have two older sons, 21 & 23 – It is hard to step back and let them make their own decisions. I still want to be Mr. Fix-it. I do have to admit that when I quit trying to make life “easy” I found I enjoy it so much more.

    • Matt Ham October 5, 2014 at 9:44 am #

      Jon, thanks for sharing this.

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

  1. Some Days All You Have is Grace… | Matt Ham - November 11, 2014

    […] this isn’t some cliche notion, a kind of pep talk, telling you life is supposed to be hard, you’ve got this. For a guy who always wants to have an answer or a direction or a response, I […]

  2. Four Words That Will Change Your Life | Matt Ham - March 5, 2015

    […] Failure is inevitable. […]

  3. Managing Fear in Seasons of Change | Matt Ham - April 25, 2015

    […] And it is hard. […]

  4. Do You Fight With Your Children? | Matt Ham - July 14, 2015

    […] I’m learning that difficulty and adversity are common denominators for anything deeply rewarding. […]

  5. Brokenness, Perfect Love, Daughters, and Two Years of Blogging | Matt Ham - August 12, 2015

    […] I’m sure some people would have encouraged us while others gossiped, but that’s not how this story goes. And I’m learning that great, epic stories begin when we choose the difficult path. […]