Why Is It Hard?

Scars of Failure, Fruits of Persistence: How Setbacks Shape Success

Why Is It Hard?

Introduction: The Human Nature to Dream

From the moment we're conscious of ourselves, we begin to dream. It starts small: a toy, a bicycle, a place we want to visit. But as we grow, our dreams grow with us. We dream of becoming someone, of doing something meaningful, of making it big. Humans are wired with imagination and hope, and that's both our greatest strength and our deepest vulnerability. We are visionaries by nature—creatures who see light even in darkness. But what makes us beautiful also makes life deeply painful: when reality doesn't match our vision, we suffer.

Why Good Things Hardly Come By

Dreams are easy to build but hard to live. Most people will agree that the best things in life—love, peace, purpose, financial stability—are hard-earned. Why is that? Because they require more than desire; they require discipline, opportunity, and luck. Society doesn’t operate on fairness. It operates on systems—and many of those systems are not designed for everyone to win. The game is competitive, the ladder is tall, and not everyone starts at the same place.

Even the most basic dreams—like a comfortable home or a stable job—can feel miles away for millions. The system doesn’t make room for everyone, and in that scarcity, dreams get crushed.

Struggle to Survive

Before we talk about dreams, let’s talk about survival. Every day, billions of people wake up not to chase dreams, but to survive another day. They think of rent, bills, illness, debt, hunger, responsibilities. When your stomach is empty or your shelter is insecure, chasing dreams feels like a luxury. That’s the harsh truth—not everyone has the bandwidth to dream.

Life, especially in modern society, has become a treadmill. We're told to run faster, hustle harder, do more—just to keep our heads above water. Burnout, anxiety, and depression are the new epidemics. And often, the finish line keeps moving.

Why the World Revolves Around Money

Money is not just currency. It's power, access, choice, influence, security. Without it, doors remain closed, voices unheard, talents wasted. And because everything costs something—from basic survival to dream fulfillment—money becomes the universal driver.

It defines what school you go to, what doctor you can afford, which city you live in, what chances you get. This makes money both the means and the measure of life in today's world. It doesn’t just affect your material comfort; it shapes your destiny.

Money: A Purpose and a Curse

On one hand, money gives people purpose. It becomes a motivator, a target, a goal to aim for. People work hard to provide, to improve, to escape poverty, to gain respect. On the other hand, money breeds inequality. It polarizes society into haves and have-nots. It turns compassion into competition and dreams into currency.

People lose themselves trying to earn more. They sacrifice relationships, health, ethics. A system that makes money the ultimate goal often turns humans into robots. Worse, those who don't earn enough are seen as failures, even when they've tried their hardest.

Everyone Dreams of Being Rich

It’s not vanity. It’s human. Everyone wants to be rich not just for luxury, but for freedom—freedom to live on their terms, to say no, to escape cycles of stress. Being rich is the symbol of having "made it," the finish line of the rat race.

But statistically, most people won’t ever become rich. The gap keeps widening. And watching others live extravagantly online while you're barely surviving offline can be soul-crushing. Comparison breeds self-doubt. Social media doesn’t help. It shows the success stories, not the struggles.

The "Chosen" Few

Every generation produces a handful of breakout successes. Entrepreneurs, artists, athletes, coders, influencers—the people who "make it." We call them talented, smart, lucky, chosen. And while many of them work incredibly hard, so do millions of others who never get a break.

Sometimes, it takes being at the right place at the right time. Sometimes, it's who you know. Sometimes, it's simply winning the birth lottery. That doesn’t mean the winners are undeserving. It just means the system isn’t merit-based alone. And that’s hard to swallow.

A Road Full of Obstacles

Even for those who do try—who hustle, study, practice, grind—the road is long and brutal. There are failures, rejections, betrayals, breakdowns. There’s imposter syndrome and self-doubt. There are nights of questioning your worth. For every success story you hear, there are thousands more buried in silence.

The system isn’t just stacked—it's exhausting. And sometimes, no matter how hard you work, the result doesn’t match the effort. The world doesn’t always reward grit. Sometimes it rewards strategy, timing, or luck. That doesn’t mean you stop. But it means the path is hard—and staying on it takes everything.

The Flip Side: What Makes It Worth It

But if everything came easy, would it mean anything? What we earn with struggle, we value more. The hard path shapes character. It builds resilience, empathy, strength. Every fall becomes a lesson. Every scar becomes a story. Every obstacle becomes part of your armor.

It may be hard, but it’s real. And in this harshness lies authenticity. We connect through shared struggle. We relate through hardship. And that makes success, when it comes, all the more beautiful.

Bright Spots in the Darkness

Even in the hardest times, people have found ways to rise. Communities support each other. Innovations solve long-standing problems. New forms of education, remote work, and digital freedom are opening doors that were closed before. Many are discovering how to turn side hustles into main careers, or how to grow an audience and make impact from anywhere.

Hope is not extinct—it's just quieter. It shows up in acts of kindness, in resilience, in the determination to try again. It lives in young entrepreneurs, creators, students, rebels, thinkers. Hope is in you.

What You Can Do Now

Start where you are. Build slowly, consistently. Learn something valuable. Share what you know. Ask questions. Make connections. Give without expecting. Be honest with yourself. Avoid the trap of comparison. Your journey is uniquely yours.

Celebrate small wins. Rest when you're tired. Speak when you're ready. You don’t have to be extraordinary to begin—you just have to begin. And one step at a time, you'll build a life that reflects your values.

Conclusion

So yes, life is hard. Dreams are hard. Success is hard. But meaning is often found on the other side of hardship. The pain you endure now becomes the power you carry forward. You're not behind. You're just becoming.

The game may be rigged, but you still get to play—and sometimes, that’s enough to change everything. Because even though the world is tough, you are tougher. And you were never meant to g

Live up. You were meant to grow through it, and shine in your own time.