The phrase, “Hard times create strong men; Strong men create good times; Good times create weak men, and Weak men create hard times.” first appeared in the post-apocalyptical fiction novel “Those Who Remain” by G Michael Hopf, 2016.
- (As a caveat, I will substitute the word “people” (male and female) for the word men. Also, we refer to the word “strength” to mean much more than mere physical strength. We are referring to the strength of character, emotional, intellectual, moral, and psychological strength, which one must master to live fearlessly.)
Today, we are witnessing this phrase come to life as never before. We face a series of challenges that are testing our nation’s strength and resilience. Governmental turmoil, rising violent crime, war in Europe, terrorist attacks in the Middle East, economic struggles at home, and the deterioration of family and societal values, along with academic and political corruption, have led us to a time when America’s traditional ideals and values are under assault. The foundation of our society is being challenged by individuals who hate the very idea of American exceptionalism.
One major battle is the clash between America’s traditional values and (re)-pro-gressive ideologies. It is the everyday Americans who are paying the price for the woke/unhinged ideology being pushed by the elites of our political and military leadership, along with academia, the media, and entertainment elites. The rise of hate and anti-semitism, the persecution of the family unit, and the weaponization of federal government agencies against its citizens have all been rising, and our weak leadership is complaisant to that fact.
We must ask ourselves: can we pull back from the brink of this destruction? Do we continue to embrace the principles that made our country great, or do we succumb to the woke/unhinged ideology that has been proven to produce nothing but victimhood and despair? It is here that individual agency and responsible leadership come into play. Whether within a family, a community, an organization, or a country, leadership is accountable for the direction and actions of the group. When leadership is strong, then times are good. When leadership is weak, you have what we have today: hard times.
However, (especially) in times of adversity, we should not rely on others (government, teachers, preachers, politicians) to lead us through these challenges. As individuals, families and communities, we have the most critical role to play in our survival. During these hard times, men and women must embrace the challenges to rise up and become stronger. We must become stronger through these tough times and, in turn, create good times of prosperity and a renewal of the American dream.
Time and time again, history has shown us that when faced with challenges, we (as a nation) have always risen stronger. During hard times, we see our people’s true strength and resilience. As we navigate these hard times, we must hold onto hope and work hard to ensure we will emerge stronger and more resourceful than ever.
It is up to us to take care of ourselves, our families, and our communities, and we have to look for ways to grow and thrive in the midst of the challenges we face. We must stand up for the principles and values that made the U.S.A. the most remarkable example of freedom and prosperity the world has ever known. As Americans, we must unite and support one another, letting our differences unite us rather than divide us.
HARD TIMES CREATE STRONG PEOPLE
Hard times refer to periods of difficulty, struggle and adversity. In life, hard times are inevitable and will impact individuals (for better or worse). The Buddhist mantra, “Life is suffering; to live is to find meaning in that suffering,” has always inspired me. So many times, we have screamed at the heavens, “Why me? Why is this happening to me?” When we should ask, “What can I learn from this? How can this transform me for the better?” Here are three ways hard times can make us stronger (if we let them.)
Adversity strengthens/builds character
In our article, The Fruits of Failure, I shared a saying I used throughout my military and personal life, “life lessons are only learned in failure, success is confirmation, but failure is where lasting growth takes place.” Tough times reveal one’s true character. When faced with difficulties, we are forced to find our inner strength and develop the resilience needed to overcome those challenges. There is no secret to becoming resilient; it is trial and error and trial and error. This process is uncomfortable and, at times, painful, but it is the only way for us to confront our weaknesses and work towards strengthening ourselves.
Challenges encourage growth
Challenges encourage growth – Hard times can be a powerful catalyst for personal and collective growth. When individuals face the difficulties of life “head-on,” they are forced out of their comfort zone and are challenged to find ways to overcome obstacles. This process of learning and adapting helps us develop new skills and perfect old ones. Through the practice of facing challenges and overcoming obstacles, we become stronger in character and more resilient in spirit.
Necessity breeds creativity
Necessity breeds creativity – During hard times, we are forced to come up with creative solutions to complex problems. Difficult circumstances, limited resources, and undue hardships push us to be resourceful, innovative, and adaptable. Through the darkest of history, mankind had to find new ways to survive and thrive. Most of our greatest inventions and technological breakthroughs have been born out of necessity during hard times. As Plato inferred, necessity is the mother of invention.
HOW STRONG PEOPLE CREATE GOOD TIMES
The lessons learned during the hard times enable strong people to utilize their strength to bring about positive change and to better the lives of all those around them. Strength of character is forged in the trying times that challenge a person’s resolve and commitment. Strong people are not swayed by popular opinion or the latest social fad. They do not concern themselves with the trivialities of temporal social fads. Instead, a strong person is grounded in the time-tested values and principles that have made this country the greatest the world has ever known. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Our chief want is someone who will inspire us to be what we know we could be.” I prefer to rephrase it, “…to be someone we never knew we could be.” Here are three traits a strong person must have to create an environment of security and prosperity = good times.
Optimism and positive thinking
Optimism and positive thinking – Strong people, having gone through the “forging” fire of conflict, come away with a natural optimism and positive mindset. Their confidence rests in the fact that they know the road they have already traveled. They can trust their ability to overcome obstacles and create a better future. They faced each challenge; they learned from each failure, and in the end, they came away believing in the old saying, “What doesn’t kill me makes me stronger.”
Leadership and vision
Leadership and vision- Strong people are leaders by virtue of their determination and resilience; they possess the qualities that others gravitate towards. Also, there is no such thing as a natural-born leader; leaders are built, and leadership is learned. If you want to be a leader (a good leader), you will have to learn to fail (fail up.) You will (and must) fail, but “fail up” and make sure you get the fruit of that failure and become better for it. Humility, empathy, tenacity, resilience, perspective, and hope are just some of the fruits of failure but remember, you must pick and eat that fruit for it to nourish your character. It is from the proofing grounds of failure that a strong person perfects their vision for the future, and this empowers them to take action when others are frozen with indecision.
Taking action and making decisions
Taking action and making decisions – Strong people are acutely aware that progress can only be made by taking “calculated” risks and making tough decisions. During difficult times, decisions must be made (relatively) quickly and effectively – not rashly, but with great timing. From the first days of basic training, Infantrymen are taught the military decision-making process (systematic 7-step process.) As military leaders, we engage (a modified version of) this process in everything we do, which happens in seconds. I still use this process; it separates emotion, pride, and self-interest from the situation. This military decision-making process acts as an antidote to an emotionally demanding situation’s fight, flight or freeze reaction.
HOW GOOD TIMES CREATE WEAK PEOPLE
This is arguably the most obvious of these stages, especially in our present situation/time. We have witnessed generations of weak people (mentally, emotionally, physically, spiritually, and psychologically) occupying positions of prestige, authority, and leadership. These weak politicians, civil servants, sports figures, religious leaders, teachers, military personnel, and first responders are “not even fit to pour water out of a boot, with the instructions written on the bottom” (to coin a phrase.) Weak politicians (from BOTH parties) occupy positions within the government for pure self-enrichment, self-aggrandizing, and self-promotion. Weak military leaders have forgotten the Soldier, Sailor, Airman (or is it Airperson), and Marien who have sacrificed their blood, sweat, and tears in genuine service for their country. Our Strategic military leaders have sold their souls and the lives of those in the ranks for their next promotion, political appointment, or boardroom seat. “Bad leaders care about who is right. Good leaders care about what is right” (and I would add “no matter the cost”) -Simon Sinek. Here are three ways good times create weak people.
Overconfidence and complacency
Overconfidence and complacency – Weak people are those who assume the credit when things go right but have no responsibility when things go wrong. Their lack of honesty adds to their lack of humility, which breeds overconfidence and complacency, which leads to tragedy. Weak people forget the lessons learned from past struggles, and in their hubris, they lose motivation or initiative. They allow themselves and those around them to wallow in the status quo.
Lack of motivation and initiative
Lack of motivation and initiative – Weak people always have a “herd” mentality; they are the sheep who “go along to get along.” They are oblivious to their groupthink and are not interested in self-reflection and self-correction. Their mindset of certainty always leads to intellectual stagnation and a sense of entitlement.
Poor decision making
Poor decision-making – The weak person believes they have all the answers and the right advice for others to follow but somehow lacks the insight to live a productive life. No matter how big or small the issue, international or local, weak people are great at removing splinters from their brother/sister’s eye while stumbling around with a beam stuck in their eye. Matthew 7:5
HOW WEAK PEOPLE CREATE HARD TIMES
Weak people lack the introspection or self-discipline to be of any (actual) use to themselves or anyone else. In forfeiting their agency, the weak see everything in terms of the oppressor and the oppressed. Weak people have what I refer to as “perpetual victimhood”; they remain unaccountable and unresponsible for any of their misfortune. As Rocky said, “…if you know what you are worth, then go out and get what you are worth. But ya gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain’t where you wanna be because of him or her or anybody! Cowards do that, and that ain’t you! You’re better than that!” Here are three reasons that weak people always create hard times.
Poor leadership and management
Poor leadership and management – During times of prosperity, weak people often rise to positions of power without the necessary skills or qualities to lead effectively. The ineptitude of the weak has always been evident in our political and military leadership. But with the rise of the woke/unhinged ideology, we see an incalculable amount of unqualified, unprepared, and unintelligent (weak) people in positions that result in the hard times we are living through. It is as if the world is on fire, and we are debating which pronouns define our worth.
Inaction and indecision
Inaction and indecision – Weak people are paralyzed with fear and uncertainty as they fail to take productive action and make tough decisions; this creates hard times for now and the future. Their inaction and indecision exacerbate the difficulties that they (and society) face and only compound the problems for the future.
Unsustainable practices
Unsustainable practices – Weak people tend to become too comfortable and socially irresponsible in the good times. They are always willing to take the easy way out and push responsible action “down the road.” They do not recognize the importance of maintaining a balance between comfort and adversity, and they fail to remain vigilant and continue to cultivate the qualities that created the good times.
A CALL TO ACTION / CONCLUSION
Besides the examples previously given, here are five things each of us can do to become that stronger version of ourselves.
- “Kill the boy in order for the man to live.” N.F.L. Coach Mike Tomlin is famous for his unique motivational saying. Kill the boy so the man can live is one of my favorites; it is a powerful metaphor for personal growth and transformation. Every retired Veteran will know the meaning, as it sounds like something a Drill Sergeant would scream as you struggle to do that last push-up. In the Bible, the Apostle Paul says it this way, “When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: when I became a man, I put childish things away.” 1 Corinthians 13:11 This proposition is that we must leave behind certain elements of our old identity and embrace the new to move forward and live life fearlessly. Ask yourself today what (complacency/superstition/pride) has been holding you back from becoming all you know you should be.
2. “In life, we do NOT get our dreams; we get our goals.” Setting achievable goals is the #1 way to strengthen ourselves and become our stronger version. Dreams are precisely that, dreams. They have no substance or direction, but when we set workable goals to achieve our dreams, we can see real strength in our lives. In our article, Living Life Fearlessly Part I, we stressed the importance of setting goals to progress in life. The acronym S.M.A.R.T. is the standard for setting practically achievable goals. (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timely.)
3. “Sometimes violence is the ONLY answer.” I know, I know, but hear me out; we do not have to like it, but in particular situations (both individually and collectively), violence is the only answer in some situations. Now, if you do not believe this or understand it, I say, “God bless you,” you live a privileged life and are very fortunate. “…You have that luxury; you have the luxury of not knowing what I know…” from the movie A Few Good Men comes to mind. Nobody hates violence and war more than a Warfighter (notice I did not say Veteran), and no one will use it with greater discretion and restraint than a Warfighter. But the Warfighter knows something else, “…some men aren’t looking for anything logical, like money. They can’t be bought, bullied, reasoned, or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn.” The time to reason with terrorists isn’t when they are burning your house down, raping your 14-year-old daughter, or torturing your neighbors and cutting the heads off of 6-month-old babies.
4. “Do one thing today to make tomorrow better.” I learned this from a Battalion Commander of mine decades ago. I almost forgot it until I read Jordan Peterson’s book 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos (2018). Change can be daunting, to strengthen oneself is hard work, “where do I start?” Start with the simple, the easy, the mundane, and ask yourself, “What is it I could do today, right now, to make tomorrow better?” Better for me, my family, my neighbor, my community. Something so small that no one sees or acknowledges it is actual change – this is true strength.
5. Take (good) care of yourself before you take care of others. Let’s be honest: some of us (or at least some of the time) only take care of ourselves, or we are taking care of others only for what we can get out of it = personal gain. But when we are strong enough to care for others altruistically, we must ensure that we are engaged in personal self-care. There is a reason that the airlines tell you to “put on your mask before assisting others with their masks” (in case of an emergency.) You can not give what you do not have. Take time daily to improve yourself (practice a musical instrument, read a classic book, meditate), and make time throughout your day to stop and see the beauty of your life and the world around you. Find at least three people to whom you can express your gratitude daily. (I say “persons” because my dog Lino qualifies as one for me.)
In conclusion, hard times may be upon us, but they will not break us if we do not give up. Americans have a long history of overcoming adversity and rising stronger as a nation and as a people. I do not doubt that these times will be no different. We must hold onto the belief that every one of us can be an agent for good; we must rise, stand firm, and create good times for all Americans.
“Living Life Fearlessly”
YBiA
The Warfighter