Suffer for what

You are told to run the extra mile. To stay awake and finish your shit. To wake up at 4 a.m., take the cold shower, be your own boss. You are told that you can be better than other people if you follow a certain recipe and do whatever the fuck those hyper-productive people do. You are told that you need to endure and sacrifice to achieve that.

But what if the source of all that energy is just the dark, dark ego of being better than others? Does it really make sense?

Why the fuck do we push ourselves that much? Why are we being told to live like that? What’s with those influencers pushing the grind?

You’re running, exhausted, body screaming, and yet you force yourself to push for another kilometer. You tell yourself that pain is temporary, that struggle makes you stronger. But is that really true? Or is it just another lie, wrapped in sweat and self-flagellation?

You can also run not because you have something to prove but because you love the feeling of movement, the rhythm of your breath, the clarity that comes from being in sync with your body. In both cases, you’re running, but one is fueled by hardship, the other by flow.

Struggle has been turned into a currency. If you’re not exhausted, if you’re not breaking yourself apart, you’re not doing enough. The message is clear: pain equals worth.

But does it? Is pushing through hardship really the only way to reach excellence? Or is it just another scam we’ve bought into?

There’s this belief that to be the best, you must endure discomfort. But what if the focus could be positive emotions? What if you don’t have to suffer to push yourself?

The best version of yourself doesn’t have to be built on hardship.

You don’t need to outsource negativity just to improve. External struggles will come, sure, but why create unnecessary battles inside your head?

You can push yourself out of love, out of joy, out of the pure thrill of discovering what you’re capable of.

Take the David Goggins approach, an example of resilience, of pushing beyond limits, of redefining what the human body and mind are capable of. And I respect that. But I don’t believe in struggle for struggle’s sake.

You could say that the Stay Hard philosophy is built on the idea that pain is the path to greatness. But I don't think that staying hard is sustainable. It’s a fuel that burns hot and fast, but eventually, you’re left with ashes.

Goggins says the mind is your enemy, that you must beat it into submission. But what if the mind can be your ally instead? What if growth comes from embracing the challenge with excitement rather than enduring it with torment?

I believe that if you do things out of ego and darkness, it’s just a masquerade to hide how broken you might feel. That’s the real cost of suffering as a motivator—it doesn’t build, it masks.

There are no time-outs in life; the clock is always running. But exactly because of that, the real question is: Are you going to push yourself through hardship just to be better? Or are you going to push yourself by embracing the journey?

I think it’s about shining—and making others shine too. It’s about being your truest self, eating that ice cream, talking to that friend, watching that movie, studying that night, building that enterprise, and working hard on what you love. But not out of fear, or ego, or self-inflicted misery. Out of hope. Out of brightness. Out of the unshakable belief that you can do wonderful things without punishing yourself to get there.

The extra mile doesn’t have to be covered in sweat and agony. It can be a path walked with confidence, curiosity, and joy. That’s the difference.

Stay strong, but keep the joy.