You know you’ve heard the phrase before… “the struggle is real” … We hear this all the time. You see it again and again in hash tags across social media; it is used to refer to so many different struggles… being a parent, making ends meet, work, fitness, weight loss, just life and the everyday balance of everything.
When people see this hash tag, they get one ‘Like’ after another as if people feel as though they are a part of something. Are they really? There is this false sense of psychological confirmation that you aren’t alone because others agree they feel the same struggle. This is classic enabling although they won’t see it that way. They believe in the struggle; again, it’s real. (sometimes you see this hashtag and aren’t compelled to click ‘Like’, instead you almost laugh)
You will sometimes even see supposed entrepreneurs hash tag this phrase when referring to their daily hustle… I say supposed entrepreneurs because with social media these days, anyone can give themselves whatever title they want on their multitude of profiles; it is meaningless if you haven’t earned the right to claim such status. They haven’t sold anything, closed any deals, they have no legit company or business to speak of, yet they claim they are an entrepreneur and their struggle is real… I suppose they may really be struggling to find where they are going and what they are doing. Maybe they should step back and figure out if this is truly the path for them. I am a firm believer that everyone has something to offer, and if you desire to be your own boss, you need to figure out how to make it a reality. Some people don’t have the ambition or the drive to be their own boss and that is okay…
Those of you who are determined that this is the life for you, good for you. Now, lace your J’s and eat your Wheaties… It’s time to Get Cocky and get it done. In the world of entrepreneurism there is no room for weakness or whining. We do not shy away from a challenge or complain about the obstacles we find standing in our way. In life and in business, you have to find yourself doing what you love… There will be times when you are doing things you don’t, but it is all in efforts of getting to that place that you do love.
I have a good friend, Greg, who I refer to as G-Money because this guy is ‘all money’ all the time… he just has it all together. This is a man who is married with two teenage boys whom he is heavily involved in their daily activities. He is a great dad, a hard worker who never complains when extra things are laid on his desk, very much a team player. He’s an incredible bassist, singer and front man to a successful band that gigs regularly, sometimes a couple times a week. Moreover, he keeps himself in top physical condition always. He keeps his game tight. Most of us know a person or two that just seems to have it all together. Truth is that nobody has it all together; things are never perfect even when they seem as though they are. The big difference between your friends that got their game tight and the ones that continue to speak of the struggle is happiness. My man, Greg, is happy; he loves his wife and boys, enjoys his job, his band, his workout. He enjoys how he feels and what he’s doing even though he faces challenges all the time just like anyone else. He doesn’t look at the challenges as struggle; he just faces it and gets it done. Like I said, the man is just all money all the time; he isn’t stifled by nonsense.
If you aren’t wired to be that way, you can learn… but learn fast. You’re on your way.
Trials and tribulation may come your way, but we, the gladiators, never refer to what we do as the ‘struggle’. We own the day and the issues that come our way.
There is no struggle… only hustle.
beingcoreybayless 