Besides working in the world of writing I also teach piano lessons. And, like I’m sure a lot of music teachers can testify, most of my students are beginners. It’s not that beginners are bad it’s just not very challenging for me. I’ve notice my students’ desire to quite tends to happen right around the jump from level one to level two. Up to this point, the piano students fingers haven’t had to move around too much beyond a set five-finger pattern, but that all changes in level two. The need for the student to shift their fingers multiple times in a piece increases. With eighty-eight keys to contend with, it’s an inevitable skill every pianist has to master. Yet learning to hit the same note with different fingers seems to put kids into a tailspin. Of course with this struggle I often hear, “I want to quit.” While I truly believe no student of piano should ever quit, it’s hard if you’re not a determined parent to keep them going. Hence, why I live mostly in beginner-ville. Sadly, level two isn’t the only place that sees many students jumping ship because of the rise of difficulty. There will be several plateaus with sharp inclines of skill level ahead. But I think learning to play the piano is a lot like reality.

Our lives are full of challenges, and though quitting might look like the most comfortable of choices, more than likely, it will be the worst thing you can do. You will not grow. You will not improve if you never push yourself to overcome hard things. There is a motto I hear often on the online platform I use to workout called Dailyburn. “If it doesn’t challenge you, it cannot change you.”

I don’t think truer words have ever been spoken. So don’t wish for your life to be easy, not if you truly want it to become something special by the end of it.