To make 'struggle' easy, celebrate it

A page from faith and culture for personal growth

Fasting.

Pilgrimages.

Battle scars.

Pregnancy.

Have you ever wondered why people willingly endure these hardships, even when they come with so much pain?

I believe faith and culture have mastered the art of delayed gratification.

Here’s the thing: we’re wired for instant rewards. We crave them. So, to delay gratification, two key ingredients are needed: self-control and trust. Trust is tricky because future rewards are never guaranteed.

Putting efforts into something regularly is tough - it feels like a struggle, honestly. But when the struggle is celebrated, it shifts our mindset. Suddenly, the pain becomes meaningful. We feel like the struggle is worth something, even if we don’t immediately reap the benefits.

That’s why we see people proudly enduring difficult situations—they feel stronger for having gone through it, and their faith grows with each experience.

Jatayu

Faith and culture cleverly harness this. They promise rewards—divine blessings, enlightenment, or approval—that either come later in life or are recurring. Along the way, these moments of struggle are glorified with rituals, traditions, and communal celebrations, making it easier to keep going.

Now, here’s the thing: when it comes to personal goals, that same glorification often disappears. The process—the grind—doesn’t get celebrated.

Think about it.

No one throws a party because they’ve been hitting the gym consistently for months unless they see visible results. No one applauds your countless hours of writing if you haven’t published a book or won an award. And no one cares how hard you’ve worked on your business until it starts making serious money.

It’s the same principle: enduring pain for future rewards. But without the celebrations along the way, it becomes harder to keep showing up.

That’s where we need to take a page from faith and culture. Celebrate your grind, glorify the struggle, and put faith in the process. Because the journey, not just the destination, is where the real growth happens.

This is a small reflection of my journey, and I'd love to hear your thoughts! I’d love to hear and learn from your take or experience with this.

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I’m Celebrating 3 Months of Showing Up

I’m Celebrating 3 Months of Showing Up

For as long as I can remember, I’ve dreamed of building a career that empowers me to live the life I’ve always wanted. That’s what Piqued Pilgrim is for me—a personal brand that embodies this dream.

This isn’t my first attempt, though. I’ve tried many times before and quit. But this time is different. This time, I refuse to quit. I’m learning to embrace new perspectives and make mindset shifts that help me stay on track. One of those shifts is this very newsletter, and I’m proud to say I’ve shown up consistently for Piqued Pilgrim for three months now.

And this week, I’m celebrating that. Will share how I celebrated in the next newsletter :)

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Little Joys

“Joy is always around if only we pause to acknowledge it.”

With life's burdens and big ambitions, it's easy to overlook our everyday joys. These are my small joys from last week -

• I have been texting my best friend from school almost every day!

• I have been spending more time in silence.

• I drew something because I had an image in my head.

  

  What were your small joys of the week?