Turning Struggles into Strength
What makes a story inspire us? What kinds of stories motivate us to keep going? It’s not usually the ones that go, “He was handed the company by his parents” or “She stumbled into success without trying.” We’re drawn to the stories of people who struggled, adjusted, pursued, and faced rejection over and over—yet still managed to thrive. We root for the ordinary person who becomes extraordinary through persistent action. These stories resonate because they give our own seemingly endless work a sense of hope. They remind us that while we can’t guarantee success, hard work has transformed lives before, and it might do the same for us.
Right now, I’m grinding. I’m in that phase of the story where the struggle feels overwhelming, where I take shot after shot and miss. The work feels endless—hours of effort that don’t always produce results. But I remind myself: this is part of my story. This is the chapter where I keep showing up, even when it feels thankless. This is the part where the work stacks, day after day, to build something bigger.
And even if the external results take time—or don’t come at all—the work itself is changing me. It’s making me stronger, more resilient, more capable. That’s the result I can count on: hard work leading to self-development. And through that, no matter what the outcomes look like, I can create a fulfilling life.
ACTION: Think about your current effort and write down one way this struggle is helping you grow or develop a skill. Then, identify the next small step you can take to keep moving forward, even if the results aren’t immediate.
