"Now, we can do this the easy way, or the hard way."

That always seems to be the choice that people in books, TV shows, or movies get; the easy way or the hard way. Sometimes they choose the easy way, and sometimes they don't. In the real world, I don't think any of us would choose the hard way.

But if I have learned anything the easy way, no one told me it was easy.

Everything feels like the hard way when it's happening, and there's a reason for that. We learn from our mistakes, which usually means something went wrong before we were able to make them right. The hard way involves messing up, getting in trouble, or doubting yourself or the ones around you.

There are times when we can see the importance of making the right decision and are grateful to have chosen the easy way, but it's rare. We are much more inclined to consciously recognize our development while fixing a wrongdoing.

I have done all of those things.

I have messed up.

I have gotten in trouble, and I have doubted myself and the ones around me. We all have.

In some situations, "the hard way" doesn't quite do the situation justice. But, regardless of how rough the journey was, the destination made it seem worth it.

So, there's something to be said about the hard way. Making mistakes is how we learn. What if we always knew what to do? What if life was just a string of easy ways? It sounds ideal to always know what to say or do. To know – truly know – that everything would work out because it had to.

It seems like the perfect world.

But without the ability to make those truly stupid decisions, we lose basic free will. In life, there isn't someone asking you if you want the easy way or the hard way. You're the one asking yourself that question. In the face of every situation, you're deciding how you want to handle it.

Sometimes, the easy way may be a no-brainer. Sometimes there is no easy way. Also, there may not be a clear line between the two. Sometimes you have to take a shot in the dark and be prepared for the worst.

My friends will tell you, I am the first one to admit that some of the things I do are impressively stupid or just downright horrible. I am a fan of this whole "free will" thing, and I prefer the world where mistakes can be made. But I would be lying if I said I always felt that way.

Now, I have found myself on the other side of a situation that had no easy way. Choice was taken away from me and, despite how badly I wanted to choose any other way, I was forced through the hard way. In a word: it sucked. But I never would have learned what I did without going through it.

If I had avoided the whole situation, if I could somehow go back in time and keep the situation from happening, I would have never learned some really important things about myself and the people around me.

That's the truth of life. Some of the most defining moments of life come from doing things the hard way. While it's not easy, it's important.