Doing what is easy keeps us from doing what is worthwhile. Doing what is easy takes little thought and little effort, but the result is the same, very little. Why do we shy away from the tasks that truly challenge us? Why do we recoil from rigor and thoughtful reflection? Are we afraid of failing? Afraid of succeeding and having a new standard to which we must now adhere? Are we too busy? Too tired? Too scheduled? Too undisciplined?
I want to be a model for my students of what I expect of them as readers, writers, thinkers, and learners. I want them to see me engaged in analysis and evaluation. I want them to see me welcoming challenges and pursuing new ideas. I want them to see that a life of ease is not necessarily a life of joy. True joy comes from a confidence in one's self and a hope for the world around us. How can we have those things if we do not seek growth, seek failure, seek problems, seek solutions?
How do I get my students to stop choosing to do what is easy and begin loving what is difficult?
