Forged in Fire

Here in central Iowa, it’s getting cold. It’s getting dark, and motivation is waning. 

Winter is in full effect, and any human being alive and breathing feels its presence – its weight.

For many, Winter is brutal. It’s defeating and it sucks the life right out of them. I’m speaking from personal experience – a lot of it. 

What I now know, however, after years of resentment toward the cold and harsh winters of the Midwest, is that such a dark time presents serious levels of opportunity. 

A remarkable quote from Japanese Bhudist Philosopher, Daisaku Ikeda encapsulates precisely what I mean by this:

“We can bring brilliant flowers of victory to bloom in our lives when we weather the hardships of winter and emerge triumphant based on our practice of the mystic law. The key to victories lies in how hard we struggle when we are in winter, how wisely we use this time and how meaningful we live each day – confident that spring will definitely come.”

What does this tell us? What does it offer our mind and body as we ourselves attempt to traverse the winter months? 

The answer lies within the small details. The little things, if you will. In breaking things down into small, digestible chunks (which, I’ve talked about at length in the past,) we are able to accumulate small victories. Here, is where the compound effect enters the equation.

“What is the compound effect?” You might ask.

Without getting too technical, the compound effect is the concept behind little things adding up over time to create a greater whole. An example of this would be the idea behind 100 short workouts done consistently holding greater value than 10 long workouts done sporadically. The same can be said within the context of saving money, eating healthy and so on – you get the picture.

This phenomenon is what I’ve come to live by throughout the winter months, when the days are short, and the air is sharp as a knife. As I face the all-too-frequent Y’s in the road – the two very simple options of ‘to struggle’ or ‘not to struggle’ – the choice must always be the former. 

Within the struggle, we find our small victories. The small victories that are necessary for growth and an eventual triumphant emergence from the dreary days of Winter into the blooming season of Spring. 

The experience of struggle differs case by case. My struggles are not your struggles, your struggles are not their struggles. No two people are the same.

Though different, we can (and should) find solace in sharing such struggles with others, in understanding that the ability to overcome a metaphorical empty gas tank, and to act in the face of resistance will guide us down the path of eventual success.

As we progress through the darkness of Winter, action becomes imperative. Sedentary habits should find no place in your daily routines. 

The days are short and the nights are long. The urge to sleep past alarms pulls at every fiber of your being. The warm house aims to draw you back in, as the wind howls through the trees and the snow wisps through the air. 

It’s easy to give way, to let your guard down. 

It’s difficult to press on, and to work despite the resistance. 

But, work we must continue to do. Into the dark we go, for the betterment of ourselves and for those who love us most. The Winter, as we know, won’t last forever, but our poor choices will.

Onward.

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