Everything is Hard
Written on December 31st , 2024 by Jonathan Hilgart
I’m writing this mostly as a reminder for myself: everyone’s baseline is different, but the level of difficulty they experience can feel remarkably similar. It’s like dropping a ball—whether from 20 feet or 10 feet, the sensation of falling is still there. The ball from 20 feet might hit the ground harder, but both are caught in the same pull of gravity. Life’s curveballs come and go and this was apparent to me during our holiday travels with kids.
Our trip was, in a word, intense. First, five days in Puerto Rico, then two in Minneapolis, all while managing eight suitcases, two car seats, two strollers, and enough toys to fill a small boat. It was a logistical feat, and yes, we overextended ourselves. There were tantrums, missed naps, and the kind of travel fatigue that makes your soul ache.
But amidst our chaos, I saw family and friends struggling with their own challenges—things like sleepless nights, house training pets, or simply navigating the messiness of daily life. From where I stood, those hurdles seemed smaller than ours, like “table stakes” of everyday parenting. But to them, these were big moments. And it hit me: their struggles weren’t less valid than ours. The intensity of a challenge isn’t about the size of the problem—it’s about the baseline you’re coming from.
It reminded me of running. The hardest part isn’t going the extra five minutes—it’s getting out the door in the first place. That initial inertia is the toughest to overcome, and it’s where the real growth happens.
So what’s the takeaway? Most tough moments in life are best approached with a mindset of progress over perfection. Be present. Assess the situation. Find a path forward. Then, take the next step, no matter how small.
This trip left me with a renewed sense of compassion—not just for others, but for myself. Everyone is tackling life as best they can, starting from where they are. Sometimes that means lugging eight suitcases through an airport; other times, it means surviving a sleepless night with a crying baby. Wherever you are, do what you can. Embrace the chaos. Find the fun. Keep progressing.
