Be tough.

Life is tough, you know? 

It’s easy to be lazy. It’s easy to continue the bad habits. It’s easy to call it quits without trying to change. It’s easy to think the only way out is to give up on everything including yourself. It’s easy to blame, get angry, or hurt others when we feel hurt. It’s easy to carry the victim mindset. It’s easy to shut down or run away from the problem that you’re facing, only until you realize that no matter how far you go, your problem still follows you.

It’s easy until you realize that unless you overcome your problem, your lesson will keep repeating itself.

Be tough.

It doesn’t mean looking tough, getting loud, or using big words. 

Being tough means to hold on to your unyielding faith and have the courage to continue your journey no matter how hard it may seem, to see the naked truth and face your problem with your utmost integrity, to choose the harder path if that means to pursue your dreams, to go against the grain if that means to do the right thing, to challenge your own limits, to take action. 

Being tough also means to listen to your own voice in the world full of noises, to say only what needs to be said, to choose peace over violence, kindness over hatred, self-improvement over self-pity, to stay composed when you have all the reasons to not be, to hold your standards, to leave when it’s time, to be patient with yourself and know when to actively seek help, to not only find hope but also create hope in any situation, to believe in a better future and intentionally work towards it, to believe in yourself.

When life throws stones at you, collect them and build your foundation.

Your faith must prevail.