I used to think it was because I was too lazy, so I didn’t want to do many things.

But later, I realized that a lot of things don’t have to be forced through… like suffering through unnecessary hardship.
(A girl’s personal account)

I really hate washing dishes.
For one thing, there’s the mess.
If you stand for too long, your feet start to hurt.
And the water always splashes onto my clothes.
Every time I’m done washing, my mood is really bad.

Later,
I moved a small stool,
sat down to wash,
and opened the cabinet door under the sink.
My feet could reach just right inside.
The height was perfect.
My clothes wouldn’t get wet either.
It suddenly felt much more comfortable.

Later,
I bought a dishwasher.
I just have to rinse the leftovers off the dishes.
The rest is handled by the machine.
The most annoying chore I used to dread now takes only a dozen or so minutes to finish.

Then I also realized:
it’s not just dishwashing.
Cutting meat is the same.

Before, when I stood in the kitchen, slicing took half an hour.
My waist would ache.
My legs would ache too.
Later,
I moved the cutting board to the living room,
turned on the TV,
and cut slowly while watching a program.
Half an hour again,
yet I didn’t feel tired at all.

So I feel like
many things
might not be hard because they’re inherently difficult,
but because we’ve been doing them using the most uncomfortable methods.

Sometimes,
changing your posture,
changing your tools,
or even just moving a chair, a stool,
can make things a lot easier.

Sometimes others say
enduring hardship is a kind of ability.
But I think
making yourself feel more comfortable
is also a kind of ability.

Have you ever made life feel much easier with a very small change?