Goodness is not something we have to work at or strive for it is an innate part of our being and arises spontaneously from within when we begin to cultivate compassion toward other sentient beings.

I think a lot of people become so engrossed with spiritual growth ( and I'm not meaning you personally Jai ) that they lose sight of the real reason for it... to realize their true nature and make that their gift to the world and genuine compassion and the desire to help will arise naturally from that.

We're all presented with numerous ways every day to help but we have to have our eyes open to see them. Sometimes it may be as simple as a smile or a friendly word for someone feeling down. When we spend too much time looking for the great purpose in life we miss the opportunities right in front of us to make this world a better place. I think once we master this if there is a bigger purpose in our divine plan... God or Whoever will show us. And don't forget to ask to be shown... sometimes we often forget that little step :)

( Sorry for the punctuation...comma button not working)

The Church has caused a lot of confusion about what it means to seek the kingdom of God, what is the kingdom of God, etc... I see the Christian view of Christ as being so defined by man's standards that it has become idolotry. The doctrinal packaging include rules like: you can't dance, unless it is in worship to God; women should not wear makeup or jewelry or pants; men should not wear jewelry or facial hair or long hair; you should not go to the movies or watch tv or go online without a filter; you must be vote for candidates who use prolife in their campaigns; you must not drink any alcohol; you must not drink caffein; you must have a pastor to be your shepard so you don't get lost; etc...

What Jesus said was to love our neighbors; pray for our enemies and those who mistreat us; not to hold anger in our hearts, equating it with murder; not to lust after another man's wife, equating it with adultery; not to make empty promises including ones of marriage vows; not to seek revenge, but to be giving; to ask and we will receive, seek and we will find, knock and the door will be opened to us; to treat others the way we would want them to treat us; and yes, He said that the gate is narrow and hard and few shall find it. He also says His yolk is light, so I think the gate being hard is that we have some affliction that causes us to seek God. We only seek what we are missing. It is when we are so pressed, that we realize we need God, that we seek God.

Jesus said that we are one body. We need to treat each other as if we understood that. When the nose itches, the hand scratches it, but the hands cannot curse the nose for itching, it is the source of the sense of smell. I noticed in churches that people thought they had a license to gossip and be exclusive and backbiting, ignoring the needs of others. They expect total conformation so that everybody looks the same and acts the same and thinks the same. No wonder so many are so confused about what it means be a Christian.

I have been out in the churches to see what they believe and now I am searching throught the words of Christ, to see what He had to say. I have been searching for the truth. The truth is in us, not in a box the Church has created.

So in order to be good, you have to first define what it means to be good. Then, we can examine why it is hard or not.

it is part and parcel of the complexity of being a human,
though existing from spirit ones lives in matter,
and each with a pull towards its end.
our gift of mind is constantly presented with choices for action

What you are describing is "temptation" ;) Temptation is a by-product of free will and choice. It keeps us on our toes (or couch) and reminds us of our imperfection, to stay humble.