The Task Must Be Made Difficult

"The task must be made difficult, for only the difficult inspires the noble-hearted." — The Journals of Kierkegaard

Challenge, adversity, complexity—even enemies. These things, when viewed in hindsight, serve many purposes. But let’s focus on one: they exist to separate the winners from the losers.

Overcome great difficulty—in war, in sports, in business—and you become a model of resilience, an example of courage, a hero. And what is a hero? Perhaps Andrew Bernstein described it best:

"A hero is someone of high moral stature and great ability who relentlessly pursues their goals despite formidable opposition. True heroism lies not in victory, but in unwavering devotion to the good. No obstacle can deter the great from their chosen path. If one remains true to rational values, never yielding, never betraying one’s soul, and relentlessly pursuing excellence, if one embodies all this and never cries for mercy, then one is a hero, even in failure." 

Waste no more time arguing what a great man or woman should be, echoing Marcus Aurelius, but Be One. Go out there, today, this year and pursue difficulty, embrace challenge, and laugh in the face of your enemies.. If you encourage yourself daily, if you strengthen your mind and body daily, if you educate your heart and soul, you have nothing to fear.

You will win. 

Cancelo Alvarez

 

The Untethered Soul -- Michael Singer - Article

 

Chapter 5

Reading Time: 4 Minutes 

Infinite energy

We study the energy outside, and give great value to energy resources, but we ignore the energy within. People go about their lives thinking, feeling, and acting, without the understanding of what makes these activities take place. The truth is, every movement of your body, every emotion you have, and every thought that passes through your mind is an expenditure of energy. Just as everything that happens outside in the physical world requires energy, everything that happens inside requires an expenditure of energy.

For example, if you concentrate on a thought and another thought interferes, you will have to assert an opposing force to fight the interfering thought. That requires energy, and it can wear you out. Likewise, if you have a thought that you’re trying to hold in your mind but it keeps drifting off, you have to willfully concentrate to bring it back. When you do this, you are actually sending more energy to the thought in order to hold it in a given place. You also assert energy to deal with your emotions. If you have an emotion you don’t like and it’s interfering with what you’re doing, you just push it aside. You do this almost instinctively so that the unwanted emotion doesn’t come up and disturb you. Every one of these acts is an expenditure of energy.

Creating thoughts, holding onto thoughts, recalling thoughts, generating emotions, controlling emotions, and disciplining powerful inner drives, all require a tremendous expenditure of energy

What you’ll see, if you watch carefully, is that you have a phenomenal amount of energy inside of you. It doesn’t come from food and it doesn’t come from sleep. This energy is always available to you. At any moment you can draw upon it. It just wells up and fills you from inside. When you’re filled with this energy, you feel like you could take on the world. When it is flowing strongly, you can actually feel it coursing through you in waves. It gushes up spontaneously from deep inside and restores, replenishes, and recharges you.

The only reason you don’t feel this energy all the time is because you block it. You block it by closing your heart, by closing your mind, and by pulling yourself into a restrictive space inside. This closes you off from all the energy. When you close your heart or close your mind, you hide in the darkness within you. There is no light. There is no energy. There is nothing flowing. The energy is still there but it can’t get in.

The heart is an energy center, and it can open or close. The yogis call energy centers chakras. When you close your heart center, energy can’t flow in. When energy can’t flow in, there’s darkness. Depending upon how closed you are, you either feel tremendous disturbance or overwhelming lethargy. Often people fluctuate between these two states. If you then find out that your loved one didn’t do anything wrong, or if they apologize to your satisfaction, your heart opens again. With this opening you get filled with energy, and the love starts flowing again.

How many times have you experienced these dynamics in your life? You have a wellspring of beautiful energy inside of you. When you are open you feel it; when you are closed you don’t. This flow of energy comes from the depth of your being. It’s been called by many names. In ancient Chinese medicine, it is called Chi. In yoga, it is called Shakti. In the West, it is called Spirit. Call it anything you want. All the great spiritual traditions talk about your spiritual energy; they just give it different names. That spiritual energy is what you’re experiencing when love rushes up into your heart. That is what you’re experiencing when you’re enthused by something and all this high energy comes up inside of you.

The problem is, we don’t exercise that control. Under normal circumstances, our state of openness is left to psychological factors. Basically, we are programmed to open or close based upon our past experiences. Impressions from the past are still inside of us, and they get stimulated by different events. If they were negative impressions, we tend to close. If they were positive impressions, we tend to open. Let’s say you smell a certain scent that reminds you of what it was like when you were young and somebody was cooking dinner. How you react to this scent depends upon the impressions left by your past experiences. Did you enjoy having dinner with the family? Was the food good? If so, then the smell of that scent warms you and opens you. If it wasn’t so much fun eating together, or if you had to eat food you didn’t like, then you tighten up and close. It really is that sensitive. A smell can make you open or close, and so can seeing a car of a certain color, or even the type of shoes a person is wearing. We are programmed based upon our past impressions such that all kinds of things can cause us to open and close.

If you pay attention, you will see it happen regularly throughout each day.

How you learn to stay open is up to you. The ultimate trick is to not close. If you don’t close, you will have learned to stay open. Do not let anything that happens in life be important enough that you’re willing to close your heart over it. When your heart starts to close, just say, “No. I’m not going to close. I’m going to relax. I’m going to let this situation take place and be there with it.” Honor and respect the situation, and deal with it. By all means deal with it. Do the best you can. But deal with it with openness. Deal with it with excitement and enthusiasm. No matter what it is, just let it be the sport of the day. In time, you will find that you forget how to close. No matter what anyone does, no matter what situation takes place, you won’t even feel the tendency to close. You will just embrace life with all your heart and soul. Once you’ve attained this very high state, your energy level will be phenomenal. You will have all the energy you need at all times. Just relax and open, and tremendous energy will rush up inside of you. You are only limited by your ability to stay open.

The most important thing in life is your inner energy. If you’re always tired and never enthused, then life is no fun. But if you’re always inspired and filled with energy, then every minute of every day is an exciting experience. Learn to work with these things. Through meditation, through awareness and willful efforts, you can learn to keep your centers open. You do this by just relaxing and releasing. You do this by not buying into the concept that there is anything worth closing over. Remember, if you love life, nothing is worth closing over. Nothing, ever, is worth closing your heart over. ⭐

On Quiet Weeks, On Accepting Reality

 "I am writing this, not for the eyes of the many, but for yours alone: for each of us is audience enough for the other."

— Lucius Annaeus Seneca, Philosopher and Statesman (4 BCE – 65 CE)

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This newsletters offers thoughtful reflections to encourage preparation, mental strength, and clear thinking as we navigate life -- drawing on timeless writings and personal insights. 

On Quiet Weeks

Episcopal bishop and clergyman Phillips Brooks reminds us of the power of quiet weeks:

"Someday, in years to come, you will be wrestling with the great temptation, or trembling under the great sorrow of your life. But the real struggle is here, now, in these quiet weeks. Now it is being decided whether, in the day of your supreme sorrow or temptation, you shall miserably fail or gloriously conquer."

Note: Do you suppose soldiers only train when they expect war? No, a true soldier and commander trains during quiet, peaceful times, because that’s what determines victory in battle.

We, too, have wars awaiting us—emotional, financial, and psychological wars. It could mean losing your child or mother, enduring a divorce and being left with no money, or finding yourself in a wheelchair after a car accident.

Now is the time to prepare your mind for strength and resilience. Facebook memes or TikTok celebrities have nothing to offer of true value or durability.

Like Brooks, Seneca also emphasizes preparation in quiet times, reminding us that life’s cycles—whether joy or sorrow—are inevitable, but resilience begins now.

"We would bear our own end and that of our loved ones with greater courage if we perceived that life and death, like everything else, come and go by turns." 

— Lucius Annaeus Seneca

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On Accepting Reality

Shane Parrish, author and businessman, shares wisdom about facing uncomfortable truths:

“I think that one should recognize reality even when one doesn’t like it; indeed, especially when one doesn’t like it.”

His book: Clear Thinking (New York Times Bestseller)

The truth I’ve had to face is that it takes about R100,000 or more to travel to places like America, Switzerland, or Singapore. Instead of wishing for luck, I’ve started saving and investing 50% of my income.

What truth are you avoiding by wishing for luck or divine intervention? The facts may already be clear: maybe you need to exercise for better health, earn an online certificate to improve your CV, or apologize to your mother.

Whatever it is, luck is not the solution. Facing the pain of truth is.

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The End

Written by: Cancelo Alvarez

An Op-ed from DUCT

The guidelines provided by Margo Paterson have been invaluable in crafting this article. I’ve drawn on personal reflections, observations, and stories shared by fellow beneficiaries to convey our message.

Word Count: 720

• Reading Time: 4 Minutes

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George Clason, in his classic book The Richest Man in Babylon, wrote:

“Work well done does good to the man who does it. It makes him a better man.”

It makes him a better man because it takes him out of his head, which tends to default to negative thinking, and gives him something to look forward to. After the work is done, that sense of recognition for having contributed to the betterment of a company, or society, or nation brings satisfying sleep after a long day. Many of us joined our SIPS with little-to-no job experience, but today our résumés elicit self-esteem and a track record of being useful and valued. Indeed, many have attracted better jobs precisely because of these few months of work experience and/or funds to pursue better opportunities.

One thing you instantly realize when you work for the betterment of a society is how often you yourself had previously contributed to its decline — such as mindless littering in public, wasting of natural resources, and being indifferent to wrong doing. It gives you a chance to be ‘responsible’ for positive change and uniting members in communities. And this is very hard, because you begin going against the tide and rouse ridicule from peers — but as we subconsciously know already: The hard way is often the right way.

Time defines our lives. We are not shaped by the space we occupy but by how we spend the time we have in that space. And for a number of our participants, I can confidently say they understood the assignment. It’s less about on-site training and more about the vision each carries in their heart. Funders and strategic partners can only do so much. Ultimately, participants are ‘responsible’ for the bulk of the effort in managing and elevating their livelihoods.

A number of participants have moved on to permanent jobs, others now afford college fees, others have been promoted to bigger, Admin responsibilities, and others, — they are still the same people they were before this project. Why is that? Perhaps Leonardo da Vinci answered it best when he wrote in 1500: “O God, Thou sell all good things to men at the price of effort.” For positive actions often yield positive reactions. Those who show the desire and effort to improve, who raise their hands to opportunities, who yearn for knowledge, and those who, though challenged and vexed, do not give in to despair — but wake up each day optimistic about life. Yes, they tend to attract better circumstances.

One profound social value reinforced by SIPS is the return to simplicity in a society overwhelmed by media and FOMO. We are reminded to protect our natural resources, to stand against illegal dumping, and to appreciate the earth by deliberately transforming what’s neglected into thriving, profitable spaces—particularly community gardens. Our DUCT teams have embraced this and generated promising profits. On November 1st, we held an internal market day to sell produce nurtured by participants, securing R2,600 that day. The motive was to help our participants create a track record of sales and inventory management so they could pursue commercial stores for business. We are still surveying the impact these gardens have within neighboring households.

In closing, I began this journey last year in September as an Enviro Champ for DUCT. Thank you, SEF. Over the past few months, I’ve been moved to several different roles, such as M & E Data Collector and now Project Administrator. What I truly admire about the SIP that hired me is the management team. They are truly rare—loving, compassionate, and wholly invested in protecting the Duzi River, preserving natural resources, and providing employment and skills to participants. I can proudly say my bosses are professional and hardworking. In their little corner, they raise the South African flag with pride. I’ve joined them, and my key role is mentoring and collaborating with all the star participants we work with.

I am eager to find more such participants through sustained support from IDC, SEF, partnering sponsors, and the government—because in developing the mind and heart of the individual lies the hope of Africa.

More articles:

The Trials That Shape Us 

Transforming Your Reality 

Written by:

Samkelo Madlala

DUCT, SEF Project Administrator & Pathways Facilitator 

Creating the Conditions for Success

 

Am I Putting Myself in Good Positions and Creating the Conditions for Success? — James Clear

It’s difficult to know what a ‘good position’ looks like if we haven’t exposed ourselves to diverse information, possibilities, lifestyles, and beliefs beyond our immediate environment. Our first duty, therefore, is to explore—to be curious about the world and step beyond our confines. While much is said about asking questions, I strongly recommend this habit throughout life, directed both inwardly to oneself and outwardly to reality. However, there is another practice I deeply admire: learning to trust yourself to take action without always seeking permission.

Permission often serves as a safeguard against harm, both mental and physical, and its importance is undeniable. Yet, in this vast and mysterious world, there are countless opportunities waiting to be explored. Seeking permission can sometimes hinder discovery by creating unnecessary hesitation.

Consider a student in school who decides to investigate the differences between A and C students. She discovers that A students tend to sleep eight hours, eat nourishing breakfasts, and engage in afternoon sports. Meanwhile, C students might face challenges like divorced parents, lack of stationery, or spending time in unproductive environments. Through this exploration, she gains valuable insight into what contributes to academic success. With this knowledge, she can make informed choices about positioning herself for success in school and beyond.

Similarly, an entrepreneur must explore, study, introspect, and experiment to understand why some companies thrive while others fail. Through this process, they learn key truths: luck favors those who are prepared, effort is the price of rewards, and knowledge is as crucial as action. They come to understand that customer needs are as important as the product or service offered and that success often stems from providing something scarce and valuable.

Ultimately, creating good positions requires preparation, curiosity, and courage. It means having the right information to guide actions and the trust in oneself to take bold steps when opportunity arises. So, explore boldly, question deeply, and take action without waiting for permission—this is how you create the conditions for success.

Cancelo Alvarez 

Opportunities Are Everywhere

 "It's not about the space you're in, but what you do with the time you have in that space.”

Just as Seneca, the Stoic philosopher, wrote more than 2,000 years ago: "It's not how long you live, but how well you live."

Become a strong believer in efficiency—the ability to fully utilize opportunities. Throughout life, you will encounter countless unique situations. Not all will be positive or negative, but they are all opportunities. Let’s drive the lesson home:

• It’s not which country you are born in, but what you do with the time you have in that country. Moving to another city or country can be an option, but for many, moving isn’t always feasible. Often, we find ourselves settling into routines and standards that feel familiar or confining. The challenge is to make the most of where you are, whether or not you move elsewhere.

• It’s not which school you attend, but what you do with the time you have in that school. In school, if we’re not taught early on to choose friends wisely, we may struggle with social acceptance and even face rejection. Nevertheless, those we spend time with profoundly influence our attitude, work ethic, and overall experience. Surround yourself with friends who inspire you to grow and stay focused.

• It’s not which job you start in, but what you do with the time you have in that role. If you dislike your job, improve your skills during breaks, after-hours, or on weekends. If the pay is low, consider which of your skills are most marketable and seek ways to enhance them. If the environment feels toxic, take a moment to reflect. Are you contributing to that negativity? Self-care practices like exercise, reading, and meditation can foster a more positive outlook and potentially influence your surroundings.

Remember, “Readers are leaders.” You can handle almost any circumstance or environment if you understand that most situations are temporary and are designed to reveal your true character. Positive or negative, each experience is an opportunity for growth.

A Summary of The Lord of the Rings: A World of Power, Purpose, and Perseverance

 

Introduction — By Cancelo

The Lord of the Rings is a world of Friendship, Strength, Burdens, and Boundless Hope. It’s a story of companionship that endures through unimaginable temptations and challenges. Danger is constant, lurking in the shadows; uncertainty lies at every turn. Nostalgia and desire pull on the heart, and courage is tested at every step. It's a novel for the soul.

At 1,210 pages, it’s a journey that can take months to read—but here, I’ve distilled its essence to offer you a glimpse in under four minutes.

In the style of Lucius Seneca, Dr. Brett Steenbarger and Morgan Housel:

In the world of The Lord of the Rings, we find a reflection of the ceaseless struggle of the human heart with ambition, power, sacrifice, and love. Frodo’s journey, arduous and deeply personal, reveals the weight of burden and the nature of resilience. His task is not just to bear the Ring but to resist its pull, a near-impossible feat because power, even when resisted, insinuates itself into the bearer’s mind. In our world, this dynamic plays out in our handling of money, relationships, and influence; each offers a temptation that can make us either resilient or enslaved, depending on our choices.

“Only when there are things a man will not do is he capable of doing great things.” - Mencius

Seneca would say that Frodo’s burden is a meditation on how often we fail to resist what ultimately harms us. But the Ring isn’t simply evil—it is the embodiment of potential greatness and destruction alike. This is the paradox of power. Gollum, drawn to the Ring, shows how deeply we can be compromised by our desires; for him, the Ring is life itself, a reflection of his self-worth and his ruin. He serves as a lesson in how the unchecked pursuit of something external—something meant to enhance but never define us—can consume us entirely.

“Nothing in life is as important as you think it is when you are thinking about it.” – Kahneman

The Ring’s journey across Middle-earth is the trial by fire for each character that secretly wants it for themselves. Just as Morgan Housel teaches that true wealth lies in having control over time, so The Lord of the Rings shows that true power lies in relinquishing control over others. Gandalf and Galadriel, offered the Ring, reject it because they understand that real strength is not in possessing the power to dominate but in exercising restraint and wisdom. This is perhaps Tolkien’s most powerful insight: the path to freedom is marked not by taking but by letting go, a principle as timeless as wisdom itself.

“Extraordinary flexibility is required for successful living in all spheres of activity.” - Scott Peck, The Road Less Travelled

Dr. Brett might observe that the mental and emotional endurance displayed by Frodo, Sam, and others mirrors the internal battles we face when striving for meaningful change or mastery. Frodo’s physical endurance and Sam’s unwavering loyalty are less about heroism and more about a disciplined, relentless effort to reach the end, even when the end is uncertain. This commitment to the journey above the outcome is the hallmark of resilience. Frodo’s ultimate failure to destroy the Ring alone speaks to our limits. He couldn’t resist the Ring’s influence without Gollum's intervention, and in a sense, even failures serve the purpose of the mission. It’s a reminder that the strength of any journey lies not in perfect success but in accepting help and grace, which can appear even in unlikely forms.

"The secret of all victory lies in the organization of the non-obvious." — Unknown

As Seneca might say, the trials of Middle-earth serve as a reminder that adversity is often the burning, tempering flame in which our truest virtues are forged. Aragorn Son of Arathorn, having lived as a ranger, hidden from his royal birthright, represents the path of patient preparation. True leadership doesn’t come through inheritance alone, but through understanding sacrifice, humility, and patience. Likewise, in life, the call to leadership often requires that we spend years honing ourselves in obscurity so that we are ready for the responsibilities and weight that come with it.

“Unless a person has trained himself for this chance, the chance will only make him ridiculous. A great occasion is worth to a man exactly what his preparation enables him to make of it.” — J.B. Mathews

Ultimately, The Lord of the Rings teaches us that the most worthwhile endeavors are rarely completed alone. Frodo’s survival, as much as his victory, depends upon the friendship, loyalty, and strength of others. Whether it’s Gandalf’s wisdom and guidance, Aragorn’s courage & protection, or Sam’s love and integrity, Tolkien’s world shows us that there is no true success in isolation. And even if we are left altered or scarred by our journeys—as Frodo is upon his return—the essence of our achievement is not in returning unchanged but in having ventured forward with courage.

"What you become is far more important than what you get." — Jim Rohn, 7 Strategies for Wealth & Happiness

Thus, The Lord of the Rings concludes with the message that life’s journey is not about claiming greatness or defeating others, but about the courage to face both the light and dark within oneself. It’s a wisdom that echoes in our world: we can strive, we can win, we can lose, but most importantly, we can endure—if we remember that no journey worth taking is traveled alone, and no power worth possessing is sought for its own sake.

“To those human beings who are of any concern to me I wish suffering, loneliness, illness, mistreatment, and humiliation— I wish that they should not remain unfamiliar with profound self-contempt, the pain of self-doubt, and the misery of defeat. I have no pity for them, because I wish them the only thing that can prove today whether one is worth anything or not – that one endures.” –Friedrich Nietzsche, The Will to Power

Thank you for reading.

A series of the Lord of the Rings is also available at: The First Series: 1/3 or any online movie website.

Cancelo