Meaning of the Quote: “Where There’s Hardship, There’s Ease”

“Where there’s hardship, there’s ease.”

Quran

Beyond the Quote (Day 378)

At first glance, this statement seems like a contradiction. Where there’s hardship—tension, angst, and unease, seem to be the more appropriate pairings, wouldn’t you think? And while, yes, those tend to be the default feelings in response to hardship, they certainly aren’t the mandatory responses. In fact, there are no mandatory responses to any situation in life. It’s one of the few things that is actually 100% within our control—how we choose to respond to given situations. This becomes increasingly evident when you see someone masterfully navigate hard situations with ease and grace.

Which, in almost every case, is the best strategy for handling hard situations—isn’t it so? It’s why we’re taught to remain calm in dangerous situations—because freaking out usually escalates the danger. It’s why we’re taught to stay cool and collected in self-defense situations—because freaking out narrows our vision and clouds our judgement. And it’s also why we teach our kids to take time-outs—because making temper-tantrums worse is an awful problem-solving strategy. And so on.

What’s more is that, when you survey any given environment, at any given point in time, you’ll notice that both tension and ease are forces that coexist—they’re not mutually exclusive. They are always present and always interacting with one another. You can think of it as being similar to the process of diffusion. In a forever ongoing attempt to achieve equilibrium, areas of high concentration (tension) always move towards areas of low concentration (ease). And there are no areas in perfect equilibrium.

In other words, ease can always be found where there is hardship and hardship can always be found where there is ease. It’s simply a matter of perspective. If you are in the midst of an intense argument with a loved one, ease might be found in a conversation with a friend. If you were laid off from your job and are financially stressed out, ease might be found in the health of your family members. And maybe this is why we bombard our lives with any and all things that provide comfort? They act as sources of ease to offset the hardships that we inevitably face.

So, the next time you find yourself consumed in a moment of hardship—rather than resist the hardship with more tension, angst, and unease—take measures to diffuse the situation instead. Learn to flow from areas of high concentration to areas of low concentration and let the state of ease guide you to making better decisions. There will always be good with every bad and there is never a moment that’s so bad that there isn’t any good to find. Even when the hardship seems to only be getting worse, remember that—as it is with even the most torrential storms—it, too, shall pass. And sure enough, the ease of a sunny day will come shining through shortly thereafter.

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Read Next: Henry David Thoreau Quote on Keeping Your Spirit Up By Dealing With Brute Nature (Day 377)

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