Epictetus, the influential Greek philosopher, wrote the following in his Discourses:
“What would have become of Hercules do you think if there had been no lion, hydra, stag or boar – and no savage criminals to rid the world of? What would he have done in the absence of such challenges?
“Obviously he would have just rolled over in bed and gone back to sleep. So by snoring his life away in luxury and comfort he never would have developed into the mighty Hercules.
“And even if he had, what good would it have done him? What would have been the use of those arms, that physique, and that noble soul, without crises or conditions to stir him into action?”
The message of this simple allegory extends far beyond the tales of mythological heroes. It strikes at a fundamental aspect of human nature:
We can only be as great as our circumstances demand. (Click here to tweet this!) I also believe we’re capable of far more greatness than many of us think. We all have the strength to subdue and slay great monsters…if only we had to.
You see, one of the hallmarks of the greatest men, women, societies, and civilizations has always been–and always will be–their love of the Struggle.
“Oh, how blessed young men are who have to struggle for a foundation and beginning in life,” John Rockefeller once said. “I shall never cease to be grateful for the three and half years of apprenticeship and the difficulties to be overcome, all along the way.”
Kublai Khan, grandson of Genghis Khan and one of the last great Mongolian rulers, knew how to profit from the Struggle. Soft lands make soft people, so every year, he would make his soldiers split their time between the luxuries of their newly acquired Chinese territories and the austerities of the rugged plains of the Steppes. He even kept a plot of grass from his homeland in the garden of his Chinese palace as a personal reminder of the spirit that built his empire–the spirit of the Struggle.
Rome’s eventual rise to prominence started with an inauspicious string of humiliating military defeats that would have broken a weaker people. Well, the early Romans may not have known warfare, but few people in history knew how to embrace the Struggle better than they. And they used this ability to cultivate a military and diplomatic prowess that ultimately won them millions of acres of territory that stretched from the Atlantic Ocean to the Euphrates, from Britain to Egypt.
My point is this: people like Rockefeller, Kublai, and the ancient Romans knew the the Struggle isn’t a curse–it’s a catalyst. For better or worse, it transforms.
The Struggle is the ultimate “secret weapon” for getting ahead…if you can wield it effectively. (Click here to tweet this!) It accelerates progress and growth. It hardens the will, strengthens the resolve, and sharpens in the mind.
There’s a catch, though: the Struggle doesn’t care who you are or think you are. It doesn’t care what you’ve done or think you can do. Like Excalibur, you must prove yourself worthy of its heft. You must prove you have the will and backbone to bring it to bear.
The Struggle doesn’t care about your feelings, either. If you’re the type of person that uses how you feel from moment to moment to impulsively guide your actions, the Struggle is going to chew you up and spit you out.
If you can keep your eye on the prize, though, and enthusiastically subject yourself to the process every day…in all its frustrating, exhausting, and, well, slightly masochistic glory…you’ll emerge victorious. Metaphors and fancy prose aside, here’s the crux of this article:
If you want to excel in any endeavor, seek out the Struggle as your first order of business.(Click here to tweet this!) You know…the hard work that everyone else is avoiding because they’re too busy making excuses for their inadequacies and groping around for non-existent shortcuts.
Yes, it’s going to suck at first. You’re going to get angry. You’re going to feel like an idiot. You’re going to question why you began and why you should go on. But remember…the way out is the way through. And the way to do anything is the way to do everything.
What are your thoughts on the Struggle? Have anything else to share? Let me know in the comments below!
Legion Featured Author
Mike Matthews
Mike Matthews is the founder of Legion as well as the author of several award-winning fitness books, including Bigger Leaner Stronger, Muscle for Life, and The Shredded Chef.
His simple and science-based approach to building muscle, losing fat, and getting healthy has sold over a million books and helped thousands of people build their best bodies ever, and his work has been featured in many popular outlets including Esquire, Men’s Health, Elle, Women’s Health, Muscle & Strength, and more, as well as on FOX and ABC.
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Free Worldwide Shipping & Returns
Many companies use shipping and handling fees to increase their profit margins, but here at Legion, we hate profits, so our shipping is free!
Okay, so we do dig on profits, but we also go in for happy customers, and free shipping works like gangbusters. So, if you live in the UK or Canada, your order ships free when it’s over $99.
Why the restriction on international orders? Unfortunately, shipping abroad is very expensive, and if we didn’t require a minimum order size, we’d lose a lot of money. But! We're also hustling to improve our international logistics and will be passing our savings along to our international customers.
Also, if you don’t absolutely love our stuff for whatever reason, we don’t request you deliver it to a PO box in the Gobi Desert by carrier pigeon.
We just . . . wait for it . . . give you your money back. No returns. No forms. No nonsense. Holy moo cows.
That means you can say “yes” now and decide later. You really have nothing to lose.
Free Worldwide Shipping & Returns
Many companies use shipping and handling fees to increase their profit margins, but here at Legion, we hate profits, so our shipping is free!
Okay, so we do dig on profits, but we also go in for happy customers, and free shipping works like gangbusters. So, if you’re outside the USA, your order ships free when it’s over $199.
Why the restriction on international orders? Unfortunately, shipping abroad is very expensive, and if we didn’t require a minimum order size, we’d lose a lot of money. But! We're also hustling to improve our international logistics and will be passing our savings along to our international customers.
Also, if you don’t absolutely love our stuff for whatever reason, we don’t request you deliver it to a PO box in the Gobi Desert by carrier pigeon.
We just . . . wait for it . . . give you your money back. No returns. No forms. No nonsense. Holy moo cows.
That means you can say “yes” now and decide later. You really have nothing to lose.
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Some popular pre-workouts are all-natural. Some contain the right mix of high-quality ingredients. Some provide clinically effective doses. But only Pulse checks each of these boxes.
Pulse doesn’t just “contain natural ingredients''—every ingredient is naturally sourced from plants and animals. Pulse contains no artificial or synthetic substances of any kind.
Every serving of Pulse contains 15.1 grams of active ingredients that have been shown to be safe and effective in peer-reviewed scientific research.
Every active ingredient in Pulse is backed by published scientific studies that show benefits in healthy humans.
Pulse contains no harsh stimulants that wind you up and burn you out. Instead, it contains a 1:1 ratio of caffeine and L-theanine, which produces a smooth energy rush and comfortable comedown.
We carefully examined 508 pages of scientific research to find out exactly what should and shouldn’t be in a pre-workout supplement.
Every bottle of Pulse is guaranteed to provide exactly what the label claims and nothing else—no heavy metals, microbes, allergens, or other contaminants.
While these types of chemicals may not be as dangerous as some people claim, studies suggest that regular consumption of them may indeed be harmful to our health. And that’s why we don’t put any of them into our products.
Before you buy a sports supplement, you should know that it's clean, safe, and transparent. And that's exactly what Labdoor's third-party testing and certification means.
It's hard to know for sure, but this probably makes Pulse the most-popular all-natural pre-workout supplement in the world.
If you don’t absolutely love this product, just let us know, and we’ll give you a full refund on the spot. No forms or return necessary.
Analyzed for purity and potency in a state-of-the-art ISO 17025 accredited lab by Labdoor™, the gold standard of third-party lab testing.
Analyzed for purity and potency in a state-of-the-art ISO 17025 accredited lab, the gold standard of third-party lab testing.
This product doesn’t just “contain natural ingredients”—every ingredient is naturally sourced from plants and animals. This product contains no artificial or synthetic sweeteners or flavors of any kind.
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