Sometimes I just want it to be easy. You know what I mean?

I want to grow, broaden my horizons, access new potential, expand my work and creativity, and experience new adventures. That said, I'm not always willing to feel the feelings that stretching, building new skills, being in the unknown, or being a beginner may require.

My mind is full of inspiration for the achievement or has a romantic idea of what it will be like to finally take that leap, try that new thing, express myself in a new way, or build something that seems a bit out of my reach.

I get excited, and it's a “Yes” in my head. I even have a bit of that beginner's high. I get the rush of following my inspiration and taking that first step.

Yet, the excitement deflates when the romantic ideals in my head meet the day-to-day reality of moving in the direction of those inspirations.

Why? I don't want it to be hard.

I have to face where I currently am with where my inspiration or heart is pointing me and the inner growth and development that is part of the package.

Let's take wild swimming as an example. I am inspired to swim a mile in the open sea. I have loved swimming in the cold open water. It has been a new experience and helped me realize how much I love being in the water.

Moving in the water, gliding, and feeling the quiet as I swim is amazing.

Here's what is not amazing.

I was swimming with a group last week and had a rough time. I was tired, out of breath, and couldn't swim straight for the life of me. I was getting frustrated and annoyed. I can't do 1/2 mile without taking breaks, much less a mile.

This is where the joy of the inspiration starts to dim. This is when I begin to question my decision and my capabilities.

You see, the vision I had in my mind of what swimming a mile in the open water would feel like, and all the wonderful things it would show me didn't match this day.

On this day, swimming was hard.

Thankfully, this last year I've had to face some hard things. Things I didn't ask for and yet were mine to do.

I've had to face fears, insecurities, anxiety, difficult circumstances, difficult people, and old patterns and habits of avoidance. I've had to learn about hospice, funerals, lawyers, estates, taxes, banks, shareholders, and cars. I've had to learn to trust my clarity, face hard things, and speak the truth.

It hasn't been easy. Yet, I can honestly say I'm grateful for it all.

I'm grateful for all the hard things and all the hard feelings. Not because they got me somewhere or a great achievement but because they reminded me of who I am and that sometimes hard is an opening to new strength, confidence, love, and connection.

Sometimes hard is a short distance toward a whole new world.

Often, on the other side of hard is progress, movement, and new realizations. On the other side of hard is clarity, newfound skills, new experiences, and new potential. On the other side of hard is more intimacy, connection, and love.

Hard is a feeling. It's a state of mind, which means it's fluid. It moves through us.

What if we didn't let hard stop us? What if we didn't let hard feelings stop us?

I have found for myself over the last year that when I lean into hard, rather than run from it, I discover new depths within myself, my relationships, and my world.

Leaning into hard, into the unknown, and being willing to be a beginner is the gateway to expansion, internally and externally.

At our core, we have a powerful reservoir of resilience, strength, and the capacity to rise to the occasion. We are designed to grow and evolve.

In the words of Glennon Doyle, “We can do hard things.”

Do you want to start a new business, expand your current work, or try a new adventure?

Would you like to share more authentically and openly with the people in your life?

If the answer is yes, then perhaps having a new relationship with “hard” will benefit you as much as it has me.

Lean in, be brave, stay the course, and see what you discover about yourself. I have no doubt that you will discover what you're made of, and it will empower all your heart's desires.