The Struggle is Real

Repetition is the mother of discipline. Through monotonous action we grow and learn. Yet, in life, logic often fails us. Early in our journeys—whether at The Soul University or elsewhere—we grapple with uncertainty, questioning the nature of our struggles. Life feels like an uphill battle, a truth encapsulated in the phrase, “The struggle is real.”

But why resist struggle? Why view it as an adversary? What makes us believe we should be exempt from it? Struggle is neither a punishment nor an anomaly; it is a fundamental aspect of existence.

We don’t question the seed pushing upward through soil, rocks, and resistance to reach the light. Its perseverance grants it the strength to grow, to flourish, to meet its creator under the open sky. Nor do we question the chick confined within its shell, cramped and suffocating, yet compelled to break free, building the resilience necessary to survive its first days on Earth.

When a child is born, submerged in liquid that it cannot breathe, its first task outside the womb is to cry—an act of struggle—to expel fluid from its lungs and take its first breath of life.

Even water, when spilled onto scorching concrete, relentlessly seeks cracks and crevices, carving a path back to the earth. It flows unyieldingly, finding its way despite obstacles.

We accept that growth in the gym demands sweat and effort, that academic success requires dedication and discipline. To achieve a degree—whether a bachelor’s, master’s, or PhD—we understand that struggle is not optional but expected. Hard work is the price of success.

Yet, when faced with our own struggles, we falter. We complain, question, and lament. We succumb to despair, playing the “poor me” card, forgetting that it is through these uphill battles that we grow, learn, and transcend.

Socrates said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” To examine life is to embrace its challenges. Each struggle is an opportunity—a heavy cross to bear, yes, but one that leads us upward. Through valleys and peaks, life demands effort.

And that is not just okay—it is necessary. Struggle is the forge in which we are tempered, the path through which we become more than we were. It is through the uphill climb that life becomes meaningful.