The world is tough:
The world is tough.
Brutal.
Horrible.
Waits for no one.
Doesn’t care about you.
It’s you against you.
Always has been.
Always will be.
Some of us get lucky.
We get a head start.
Privilege.
Opportunity.
Good role models.
Good relationships.
Nurturing environment.
Some of us don’t.
Single parent household.
Around a lot of drugs and alcohol.
No good role models.
No love around us.
That world exists for so many.
Those just trying to survive.
Just trying to make it through the day.
Trying to support their family when they can barely support themselves.
Sorry to say this, but it will get tougher.
Harder.
Inflation is here.
An economic policy that is so destructive for the bottom rungs of society.
It ruins your purchasing power.
Your quality of life diminishes.
Your money doesn’t keep up with costs.
Soon you’re choosing between putting food on the table and heating your house.
That’s the reality for so many.
It’s tough.
It’s brutal.
But even in those moments, you have to remain grateful.
Look at what you have.
Don’t focus on what you don’t.
There is good in your life.
There is good in everyone’s life.
You just need to notice it.
You need to be present.
To be fully aware of everything around you.
Then try your best.
That’s it.
Try to be the best version of yourself you can.
Show up as much as possible.
Even on the hard days.
Put one foot in front of the other.
Then look for the happiness around you.
The sun being out.
A funny video.
Ticking something off your bucket list.
Something as small as you woke up healthy today.
Don’t take those moments for granted.
As Alan Watts said -
‘We thought of life by analogy with a journey, with a pilgrimage, which had serious purpose in the end, and the thing was to get to that thing at the end. Success or whatever it is, or maybe heaven after you’re dead.
But we missed the point the whole way along.
It was a musical thing and you were supposed to sing or dance while the music was playing.’
So sing and dance.
Even when it’s hard.
Even when the world is brutal.
Learn to find joy in the pain.
Joy in the suffering.
Joy in the difficulty.
To do this, you need to be present more.
To focus more on the moment in front of you.
Give yourself grace.
Give yourself a break.
Stop being so hard on yourself.
Don’t make your world tougher.
Instead of trying to solve your outer world, solve your inner one.
It’s the only one you control.
Life will continue to be hard.
Social media doesn’t make it any easier.
But you don’t need to worry about all those problems.
You need to worry about you.
Solve your inner turmoil.
Face your inner demons.
Confront yourself.
Your perspective is what makes the world tough.
Change how you see the world and everything around you changes.
The world is tough.
So what?
It always has been.
What are you going to do about it?