We all face obstacles in life and deal with hardships. That's inevitable. To me, it's not necessarily about the things you go through, but how you react to them, that molds your mind and creates new paths of opportunity. I'm no stranger to struggle. I was a walking statistic early on in life. A young Hispanic male, had two kids while in High School, dropped out of High School, and was constantly misjudged and labeled as a troubled youth. There was so much more to it than that.
I was born in Manhattan. I wasn't raised in the best neighborhoods. I didn't have college funds saved for me. I began working at the age of 15 so I didn't have to depend on anyone. I've had family members struggle with drug and alcohol abuse. I've had to nurse family members back to sobriety. I've been woken up to the sound of gunfire in the night. I've witnessed people getting shot at from feet away. This is the hardship I faced growing up. I didn't have much positive influence around me. As a matter of fact, I didn't even know anyone who owned their own house throughout my upbringing. Growing up I always thought owning a home was reserved for the wealthy. We rented until my adulthood. My father got a house built after retirement and I thought that was the norm.
The point of this story isn't to just tell you my backstory, but to show you that when the going gets tough, the tough can still get to growing. You are NOT your struggles. They can help mold your character, but you can grow outside the constraints that society has thrown you in. I don't fish for sympathy or acceptance. I worked my ass off while recovering from a car accident that left me with 5 herniated discs, in my spine and neck. I was struggling to walk, then struggled to jog, then struggled to lift, but made sure something of value was waiting for me on the other end of that struggle. Today, I'm helping people bring their Vision to Action.
So next time you feel down and out, just remember...
When the going gets tough, the tough, GET GROWING.
Don't be afraid of the success and opportunity waiting on the other end of the struggle. It takes time but it's worth it!