There is no self-improvement without effort.
Without taking action, happiness will never come, no matter how long you wait.
A life without peaks and valleys is a fairy tale. Reality is strict, because it is a win or lose struggle.
This is the way it is for human beings. Therefore, you should not allow yourselves to be battered about by reality but rather willingly rise to its challenges and use them as opportunities to train and strengthen yourselves.
~ Daisaku Ikeda
The Search For Enlightenment 
Oct 04, 2014 @ 15:10:47
Excellent advice–many thanks. I cannot look at your well-chosen illustration without recalling the story of young ninjas in training. They are taught to hop onto a three inch tall platform one day…then a four inch tall the next…then a five…ultimately they can jump amazing heights with no question of ability. The gaps between the increasing rungs are as essential as the height difference with each step…
Oct 04, 2014 @ 20:08:29
“A life without peaks and valley’s is a fairy tale.” That sentence spoke to me the most.
Whenever I’ve accepted this, I have been at peace. Refusing to acknowledge this has often led to suffering.