Where distinctives meet, and lives shift.

1.What difficult challenge have you been avoiding because you fear it will expose your limitations rather than reveal your capabilities?

2. When you look at your most significant achievements, how many came from easy paths versus difficult ones — and what does that pattern tell you about where your next breakthrough might hide?

3. What competitive advantage could you gain if you deliberately chose the harder approach that everyone else in your field avoids

“We don’t develop courage by being happy every day. We develop it by surviving difficult times and challenging adversity- Barbara de Angelis

HERE’S HOW IT WORKS:

I always set out to create content and design that is artfully different, unquestionably Google-Proof and on the surface, looks to be uniquely difficult.

I start off with 2 random ideas totally unrelated to each other. I then Q.O.O.R.TERIZE each one (Q.O.O.R= Questions. Options. Opinions. Research.)

From there the Tweaking begins. I Rework each one. I Blend them. I Reshape them and finally, I Build Bridges between these two and the new one that is innovated from my intermeddling comes alive as DIFFICULTY BECOMES EXCLUSIVITY.

I love the challenge. I love ‘different.’ I love ‘difficult.’ BUT. . .

I realized that creating and embracing difficult, unfamiliar and “original” ideas always come with high probabilities for crushing diversions and botherations. That meant I’d needed support that didn’t exist.

I had to build my own Triadic Power Stronghold: The Difficulty Phenom + The Q.O.O.R Catalyst + The Bridge Building Artist. NEXT ARTICLE UP:

🔥 My Triadic Power Strategy: The Three Forces That Changed the Game A.K.A. In Sarner’s World Difficulty Becomes Exclusivity (Part 2 OF 2)

But difficulties bring a treasure trove of ‘good stuff’ too and only if you never give up and dig deep beneath the surface to scrutinize and explore the ‘why.’

I also know that difficulty creates exclusivity in business and marketing as well as personal development.

Difficulty as an ally has helped BOX OUT the competition and allowed me to create, for better or worse, ‘original and innovative marketing campaigns, fashion styles and creative story content’ and best of all, by the time the competition wakes up I’m on to so many more adventures.

One of my favorite quotes by Andy Warhol:

“Don’t think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it’s good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art”

In the fashion business when a company would ‘knock off my styles’ I would drop my price to cost, steal the reorders and in 24–48 hours I would design 5–10 fraternal twins and get them to my customers who I respectfully insisted that they buy/test or. . . 😎

Most people run from difficulty. They see it as a problem to solve, an obstacle to remove, or proof that they’re on the wrong path. But what if they have it backwards? What if difficulty isn’t your enemy — it’s your competitive advantage?

Here’s what happens when you stop avoiding difficulty and start leveraging it: you join an exclusive group of people who can handle what others can’t.

This isn’t about seeking out problems — it’s about recognizing that the challenges everyone else runs from are creating opportunities that only you can access.

🏆 The 10 Hidden Benefits of Embracing Difficulty

1. Difficulty builds real confidence. When you survive something tough, you know you can handle whatever comes next. This is not fake confidence from motivational posters. This is the deep knowing that comes from actually doing hard things.

2. It separates you from the crowd. While everyone else takes the easy road, you’re building skills and character that can’t be faked or purchased. Difficulty creates a natural filter that keeps the uncommitted out of your space.

3. You develop problem-solving muscles. Easy situations don’t require creative thinking. Hard ones force you to find solutions that don’t exist yet. These problem-solving skills become your competitive advantage in everything you do.

4. Difficulty reveals your real priorities. When things get tough, you quickly learn what actually matters to you. The unimportant stuff falls away, and you focus on what’s genuinely worth fighting for.

5. It creates unshakeable resilience. Each difficult experience adds another layer to your ability to bounce back. You stop being afraid of challenges because you know you’ve survived them before.

6. You gain authentic empathy. People who’ve never struggled can’t really understand others’ pain. Difficulty gives you the emotional depth to connect with people in meaningful ways.

7. Difficulty forces innovation. When the normal way doesn’t work, you have to invent new approaches. Some of the world’s best ideas came from people who had no choice but to think differently.

8. It builds patience and persistence. Easy wins create impatience. Difficult achievements teach you that worthwhile things take time and sustained effort. This patience becomes a superpower in a world full of people who quit too early.

9. You develop real appreciation. When success comes easy, you take it for granted. When you’ve earned it through difficulty, you value it properly. This appreciation makes your victories more meaningful.

10. Difficulty creates unique stories. Easy paths don’t make for interesting conversations. The challenges you’ve overcome become the stories that inspire others and set you apart from people with boring, comfortable histories.

🛠️ 4 Ways to Work Through Difficulty and Reach Favorable Outcomes

1. Break it into smaller pieces. Most difficulties feel overwhelming because you’re looking at the whole mountain instead of the next step. Take whatever you’re facing and cut it down to the smallest possible action you can take today. Then take that action. Tomorrow, take the next small step.

2. Find the lesson hiding inside. Every difficult situation is trying to teach you something you need to know. Instead of just pushing through, pause and ask: “What is this trying to show me?” When you find the lesson, the difficulty transforms from punishment into preparation.

3. Get outside perspective. When you’re in the middle of difficulty, your thinking gets narrow and clouded. Talk to someone who’s been through something similar, or at least someone who can see your situation clearly. Fresh eyes often spot solutions you can’t see from inside the problem.

4. Focus on what you can control. Difficulty often comes with a mix of things you can influence and things you can’t. Make a clear list of what’s actually in your control, then pour all your energy into those areas. Stop wasting mental energy on the parts you can’t change.

The truth is this: difficulty isn’t something that happens to you. It’s something that happens for you. Every hard thing you face is building something inside you that can’t be developed any other way.

While others organize their way to mediocrity, you’re building breakthrough concepts in the beautiful chaos where innovation actually lives.

The people who understand this don’t run from difficulty. They lean into it, knowing that what doesn’t kill them really does make them stronger, smarter, and more exclusive.

So the next time life gets hard, remember this: you’re not being punished. You’re being prepared for something that requires exactly the strength you’re building right now. That’s how difficulty becomes your secret weapon instead of your enemy — and why exclusivity is always worth the price of admission.

Sarner B
For The Sarner group

From Sarner’s World of Innovative, Unconventional & Actionable Tips, Tools ‘n WhatEver* . . .

*“Whatever” in the phrase refers to the unpredictable elements of life and the raw, untamed fuel for creativity that we individuals already possess. — From a Google search for Sarner’s World of Innovative, Unconventional & Actionable Tips, Tools ‘n WhatEver.

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