Being Tough

If you are an athlete, chances are you understand what being tough means. We have a good idea how to really embrace the hard. You might have a predetermined idea of what tough might look like. Sometimes we think we know when we are going to have to show our courage and ability to plow through. We assume it will be things like pushing on when our legs start to burn, or doing one more set when fatigue hits us. Being tough when things are aching or we are reaching our max in effort. We assume it looks like hard grunts and big grimacing faces.

But what if tough comes in a different form we don't expect?

What if it looks like showing up after we have really failed, or carrying on when there hasn't been any progress in a long time? Or what if it looks like being graceful when things are going wrong? Or being kind when others are mean? What if being tough looks like asking for support or help when you need it? 

Or being vulnerable when you are scared? What if being tough means trusting someone when you have no control over a situation? What if tough is seeing something through that you care about, even though it has no guarantees? 

Being tough comes in forms we sometimes don't expect and it can look a million different ways.