Choose Your Hard

Don’t ask for easy - ask for worth it

I heard a kōrero recently that went something like this:

“Life is always going to be difficult. So choose your difficult.”

I loved that because it’s so true!

Waking up early to go to the gym? That’s hard.
But then again, so is feeling exhausted, sluggish, and not liking the way your body feels.

Having a tough conversation with someone you love is super hard, right?
But so is pretending everything’s fine and quietly living with resentment.

Living on a budget, saying no to things, staying disciplined with your pūtea? That’s hard too.
But drowning in debt, avoiding paying bills, and feeling out of control - that’s a whole different kind of hard isn’t, aye? 

The reality is that none of us get to skip difficult. It’s just a part of life that we all have to deal with/. But we do get to choose our difficult and that’s empowering. 

You just get to choose the type of difficult that leads to growth, or the type that leads to regret.

And from the outside, some people make success look easy. Like they’re just naturally gifted. But most of the time, it’s not talent. It’s how they handle the hard stuff. How they show up when they don’t feel like it. How they deal with pressure, fear, rejection, failure.

We all go through it. Every one of us. Even the most sorted people you know - I guarantee it. 

Growth is uncomfortable. Change is hard - and no one like it. Starting something new feels scary - i get it. 

But you know what’s harder?

Wondering “what if” for the rest of your life.

Wondering what might have happened if you had backed yourself. Had the conversation. Taken the risk. Started the thing. Asked the question. Said no to that difficult and said yes to the other difficult instead.

In te ao Māori, we talk a lot about mana a lot. And for me, a big part of mana is owning your choices - especially the hard ones.

When you choose your difficult instead of avoiding it, you step into a place of intention, not reaction. And that’s where the real growth happens.

So whatever it is you’re facing this week - whether it’s personal, professional, physical, spiritual - don’t ask for easy - ask for worth it!

Lean into the right type of difficult, and trust that the version of you on the other side is going to thank you.

Ngā mihi,
Anton