Does Success Take a Difficult Route Sometimes?
- SHIBU VALSALAN
- Apr 17
- 4 min read
An analysis of obstacles as Stepping Stones!
Success doesn’t await at the end of a smooth road—it greets those who rise, step by grueling step, toward the summit.
People often talk about success like it's a clear road: you study, you work, you do what you're supposed to, and then you're successful. But that's not usually how it goes in real life. The things that really matter often come after you've had to deal with surprises, tough challenges, and learned from your mistakes.
1. The Myth of the Easy Road
We often hear about people who become successful really quickly – the instant star, the lucky person, the thing that suddenly goes viral. These stories make it seem like success is easy and happens in a straight line without much effort. But actually, those "sudden" successes usually come after a lot of hard work that no one sees – years of practicing, getting turned down, and slowly getting better. If you believe success is easy, you might get impatient, doubt yourself, and be scared of failing when things get tough, which they always do.
2. Obstacles as Stepping Stones
Resilience: Dealing with tough times makes you stronger. Every time you pick yourself up after a problem, you become better at handling the next one.
Creativity: When things are limited – like not having enough stuff, time, or know-how – it pushes you to think differently. You figure out new ways to do things and come up with creative solutions.
Perspective: Going through hard experiences helps you understand others better and know yourself more deeply. Tough times can make you more humble, help you see what's really important, and teach you valuable lessons.
3. Real‑World Stories
Think about J.K. Rowling. She got turned down by lots of publishers before anyone wanted to publish Harry Potter. For years, she was a single mom relying on welfare. Now, everyone knows how she never gave up.
Then there's Steve Jobs. He actually got fired from Apple, the company he helped start! But he came back later and led them to completely change how we listen to music, use phones, and work with tablets. That time when he wasn't at Apple really shaped how he led later on.
And remember Bethany Hamilton, the surfer? She lost her arm in a shark attack when she was only 13. But she didn't just quit; she went back to professional surfing and has inspired tons of people with her bravery and faith.
These stories show us that becoming successful hardly ever happens in a simple way. The unexpected things that happen along the way actually make the journey richer and the final success even bigger.
4. Embracing the Challenging Path
Reframe Failure: Instead of getting down about failures, try to see them as information. Ask yourself, "What can I learn from this?" instead of "Why is this happening to me?"
Set Process Goals: Don't just focus on the final goal. Pay attention to what you do every day – your habits and routines. Showing up and doing the work consistently will lead to good results in the long run.
Seek Growth Opportunities: When you feel like you've stopped improving, push yourself out of your comfort zone. Take on tasks that make you stretch your abilities or introduce you to new ways of thinking.
Cultivate a Support Network: It's easier to deal with tough paths when you have people in your corner – mentors, friends, and others who understand the ups and downs of what you're trying to achieve.
5. When the Easy Path Isn’t the Best Path
Sometimes, taking the "easy way out" can actually cause problems you don't see at first. You might cut corners that aren't honest, give up on what you really believe in, or only do enough to get by, which leads to results that don't really satisfy you. A hard path, even though it's tough, often leads to a much better understanding of things, real connections with people, and a stronger feeling that what you're doing matters.
Rationale
Yeah, getting to success often means taking a tough path. Instead of seeing problems as things that stop you, think of them as the tracks that guide you. The unexpected turns, the hard times, and the uphill battles not only affect where you end up but also who you become as you go. When you accept the difficult parts, you find out how strong and creative you are, and what you're really capable of – and that makes success feel even more important.
References
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Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. Random House.
Ericsson, K. A., Krampe, R. T., & Tesch-Römer, C. (1993). The Role of Deliberate Practice in the Acquisition of Expert Performance. Psychological Review, 100(3), 363–406.
Collins, J. (2001). Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap…And Others Don’t. HarperBusiness.
Isaacson, W. (2011). Steve Jobs. Simon & Schuster.
Rowling, J. K. (2008). Very Good Lives: The Fringe Benefits of Failure and the Importance of Imagination. Little, Brown.
Hamilton, B., & Tacke, R. (2004). Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board. Zondervan.
Southwick, S. M., & Charney, D. S. (2012). Resilience: The Science of Mastering Life’s Greatest Challenges. Cambridge University Press.
Brown, B. (2012). Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead. Gotham Books.
Edmondson, A. C. (2011). Strategies for Learning from Failure. Harvard Business Review, 89(4), 48–55.
