Conquering the Rough Side of the Mountain
If you look at NFL quarterbacks that have won a Super Bowl or had a lot of success in their career you will see that they didn't go to a well known or prominent powerhouse college. Players like NIck Foles(Arizona), Aaron Rodgers(Cal), Drew Brees (Purdue), Russell Wilson(Wisconsin), and Patrick Mahomes(Oklahoma State). These teams had success in college, but had to go through a lot of adversity as a player and team. That adversity helped them grow and learn to adapt and fail forward.
Fast forward to today. If a QB goes to an elite school with top notch coaches, a loaded offensive line, and 5 star receivers and running backs he will likely have a lot of success and rise to the top of the draft boards unscathed. While these players put in the effort and work to get where they are, they haven't had to face a lot of adversity. A lot of them haven't had the feeling of losing a game or even being behind the proverbial eight ball. They didn't' face a ton of adversity on the playing field and history tells us they don't do well in the NFL. Once that adversity hits, they aren't equipped to handle it. They don't have the best offensive line to protect them, their receivers are average at best, and the coaching staff is a revolving door.
I understand that this is a generalization but the point is that people who have faced adversity, learned from it, and failed forward are able to become creative and innovators of solving problems and moving ahead. These people climbed the rough side of the mountain and came out on top a stronger, more equipped person.
Those that climbed the smooth side of the mountain with little adversity will be shell shocked when difficulties arise. Maybe they will rise to the occasion, or fall back into their safety net where they ruled the playground of life.
On the outside, the smooth path may seem appealing but by putting in the work, gritting through the tough times, and running through obstacles you will be much more equipped to face the adversity that life throws at us.
Which side of the mountain are you climbing?