Choose Your Hard

I recently re-read a poem by Devon Brough about how things are hard, but the beauty of life is that we get to choose our hard. At the beginning of each calendar year, we often have a renewed sense of energy and excitement. We set our goals, lay out our plans, and talk about all of the things we hope to experience throughout the   year. We start off strong, and we keep pushing forward, until one day we don’t. Until one day it feels too hard to continue chasing after the goals that we set for ourselves, the resolutions we outlined, and the dreams we intended to live out. It is not easy to stick to something for an entire year, but it is not easy to stop pursuing our goals either.

We will always have a choice. We can choose to keep going, or we can choose to stop. Whatever we decide to do, we must be willing to accept the consequences. If we do not reach the outcome that we desired because of the action that we did not take, we cannot blame things outside of ourselves. There will be times when we feel like giving up, but there is no easy path through life. It is hard to pursue something to the end, and it is also hard to fall short of our goals, but we get to choose our hard.

Growing is hard, but staying the same is also hard. Choose your hard. Trying something new is hard, but living with regrets is also hard. Choose your hard. Staying organized is hard, but living in chaos is also hard. Choose your hard. We are programmed to avoid pain, which means we do not like facing hard things, but we cannot always avoid challenges. Sometimes the only way out is through, so if we are going to have to do something hard no matter what, why not choose the hard path that reaps the most reward? Shift your focus from the pain of the hardship and instead focus on the growth that you will experience.

This next year may present many challenges, but it will also present many opportunities. We build strength, resilience, and mental fortitude when we face hardships and overcome them. When you next face adversity, you get to choose if you want to take the hard way out or the hard way through. Choose your hard, and no matter the outcome, make sure that you always learn from your choices.

-Meghan Slaughter