It's Supposed to be Hard

The struggle is real... and worth it.

Lately I’ve been watching a lot of YouTube videos and reading way too many articles about Gen Z, and I’ve started noticing a theme that worries me. Social media has done a number on this generation in so many ways, but in one big way that I haven’t heard anyone talking about. Those awful little smartphones have taught them that money is supposed to come easily. That work should always be exciting, fulfilling, and perfectly aligned with your passions or it’s not worth doing. That any kind of struggle is bad. That if life is hard, something has gone wrong.

But here’s the truth: it’s supposed to be hard.

Millennials were raised with a very different understanding. We knew our 20s were supposed to be tough. You’re broke, living with roommates, eating ramen and happy hour small plates, figuring out what you even want to do with your life. Then you bust your butt in your 30s to build a career, get a little more financially stable, start putting some building blocks in place. By your 40s, if you’re lucky and consistent, maybe things would finally start to feel a little easier, your career is going well, you have some money, you don’t even have to have a roomie anymore.

That timeline doesn’t work for everyone, and it’s not always linear. But the underlying message was clear: you’re going to have to work hard. You’re going to have to struggle.

That might mean working multiple jobs. It might mean saying no to the birthday trips and international vacations. It might even mean wearing the same outfit more than once. And that’s okay.

Struggle teaches you who you are. It sharpens your edges. It gives you clarity. It builds character. It’s what makes you strong.

I know a lot of people who inherited wealth and have never had to work a day in their lives. And I wouldn’t trade lives with a single one of them. They’re not happy. They don’t have fulfilling lives. They rarely have any real sense of self-worth.

Struggle, failure, hard work—those are the things that mold us into the people we actually want to become. Social media has tried to sell the idea that you can skip that part. But you can’t. And you shouldn’t.

It’s supposed to be hard. That’s what makes it worth it.

Choose the Bear

This week’s guest Lauren Urasek and I talk about traveling solo as a woman, the joys of girls’ trips, and how to build a successful social media account by actually being honest- what a concept! As a girl who started solo traveling the second I turned 18, this was a great conversation for me and I think you’ll enjoy it. Send it to anyone who has been to afraid to take the leap!