How Hard It Is To Stay Strong

How hard it is to stay strong when everyone around you is happy and you are not. How hard it is to cry and then minutes later put on that happy game face when you just gotta get back out there and deal with life. How hard it is to watch people having fun with their loved ones when you have no one. How hard it is to hear others complain about seemingly petty things and still show empathy towards them simply out of respect. How hard it is that very few people understand exactly what you’re going through and explaining something to someone who’s never felt the kind of pain you’ve felt is damn near impossible. How hard it is to hear other people complain about their jobs when all they have to do is show up to work and know how much they’ll be getting paid every week. How hard it is to live in your own place without a roommate, without a significant other, without moving back home with your parents, and having to pay for everything yourself, when you don’t even know how much money you’ll be making that month. How hard it is to be a complete entrepreneur and have 100% of your income depend on you alone. How hard it is to work for yourself and “wear all the hats.” How hard it is learning that the things you used to take for granted are all taken away now… simply because of the path you chose. How hard it is to NOT cave and take the easier route no matter how emotionally, financially or physically draining it is. How hard it is to make tough decisions, some of which you don’t know are actually right or wrong. How hard it is to live with the lessons of some of those decisions. How hard it is to figure out who you can and can’t trust after all the abuse you’ve been through. How hard it is to continue to be a good, positive person when on some days you just want to blow up and be out of control. How hard it is to learn who your true friends really are. How hard it is to say no to doing fun things with friends when you want nothing other than take a break for once and just enjoy life. How hard it is when not only do you have to tell them you can’t hang out with them, but then they give you a hard time about it. How hard it is to try to explain why you need to work. How hard it is to tell someone you “can’t” because “can’t” has never been part of your vocabulary. How hard it is to not get so down on yourself if you don’t reach your goals as planned. How hard it is to figure out how to pay your bills every month when you don’t have enough money in your account. How hard it is to ask for help sometimes. How hard it is to get to the gym now when it never was hard with a 9-5 job. How hard it is to not understand why. How hard it is to find energy sometimes. How hard it is to ride an emotional roller coaster every day. How hard it is to not be an emotional eater, when you have always been one, and especially now with all the stress and pressure you’re under constantly. How hard it is to look at yourself in the mirror every day and truly not be happy with how you look. How hard it is to stay motivated when all you want to do is give up. How hard it is to know your entire future is riding on your shoulders alone. How hard it is to not know when all of this pain will end.

I’m not saying my pain and struggles are worse than anyone else’s, as I try never to judge another person or their situation. All I’m saying is, I’m a much different person now than who I was two years ago when I started my entrepreneurial journey. I’ve become humbler, wiser, and much more appreciative of everything in life.

Remember to always be kind and respectful to others because we are all fighting battles others may know nothing about. Never judge a situation you’ve never been in, but rather try to understand that sometimes we just want someone to listen and then hug us and tell us everything will be okay.