This is one of my favorite quotes I found in The Miracle of Forgiveness:
Strength and struggle go together. The supreme reward of struggle is strength. Life is a battle and the greatest joy is to overcome. The pursuit of easy things makes men weak. Do not equip yourselves with superior power and hope to escape the responsibility and work. It cannot be done. It is following the lines of least resistance that makes rivers and men crooked.
– Ralph Parlette
How do I see other people’s opinions on the ties between struggle and strength and just how inseparable they are.
I’m realizing the power of belief and faith more and more as I study The Book of Mormon, Beyond Positive Thinking (though the book sure could be written in the form of someone who wholeheartedly believes in the true and living God, Our Father, rather than calling Him Universal Source or some other Universal aenigma (spell?)), and Conquer Fear by Lisa Jimenez. I have always been impressed by the truth of that quote by a prophet of God, Spencer W. Kimball.
Any suggestions from others would be welcomed on growing ones faith in ones own abilities and growth, courage, and stamina in pursuing difficult sincere, strong desires, despite their self-limiting beliefs and self-sabotage behaviors and thoughts.
When one considers the strength of the mustard seed parable taught by our Savior, not to mention the healing of people with even a little faith, were truly miraculous! What a source of energy, abundance, and JOY — ever heard of Our Perfect Father wanting that to come to his children? — to tap into!! May we all increase our faith in Our Father, which desires more happiness in our lives than we could ever fathom! I know that God wants us to be happy through our struggles and to focus on solutions rather than problems in our lives!!! How abundant is the giver of all good — which includes the struggles we face!!!
Spencer W. Kimball, prophet of god, didn’t say that. Ralph Parlette did. Kimball quoted Parlette.
“It is following the lines of least resistance that makes rivers and men crooked.”
How true this is. So many people try to get through life the easy way. They start out by cheating in school. Then as adults they try to do the least amount possible at their jobs and expect to be rewarded with raises and promotions.
Strength is truly gained by working hard and persevering through the struggles of life.
That is a truly inspirational quote – I’m going to share it on facebook, if you don’t mind ;-D