Choose Your Hard

I saw a post earlier this year about choosing your hard. It said:

Marriage is hard. Divorce is hard. Choose your hard.

Obesity is hard. Being fit is hard. Choose your hard.

Being in debt is hard. Being financially disciplined is hard. Choose your hard.

Communication is hard. Not communicating is hard. Choose your hard.

Life will never be easy. It will always be hard. But we can choose our hard. Pick wisely.

I thought the post was good and appreciated the sentiment. Then shortly after I saw this post, I saw another one where these words were crossed out and others were added underneath. They said:

Marriage is hard. Staying in an unhappy marriage is harder.

Obesity is hard. Because it's stigmatized. Fit is not always accessible to everyone.

Being in debt is a complex socio-economic phenomenon often related to privilege. It is not necessarily related to "discipline".

Communication is complex. Learning to communicate is a lifelong experience.

You don't always get to "pick your hard". And thinking you do is the epitome of privilege.

 While I can see where this edited post is coming from to an extent, I think the author wildly oversimplified their argument. It is true that sometimes we don't really get a choice in some things that happen in our lives. However, we can still make choices that will improve our lives.

Take being in debt, for example. It's very true that people with lower incomes can't always choose whether or not to be in debt, but they can prioritize their debts. Being in debt via a mortgage to have a roof over your head is very different from being in debt because you buy things you can't afford just because you want them.

Obesity is another one that I can kind of see their point about. I have been overweight for most of my life, and even though I'm eating healthier and exercising, I am not losing weight like I want to. However, that doesn't mean that doing so has no benefits. I am stronger and more flexible than I used to be. I have also discovered how punching a punching bag is not only a great arm workout but a terrific destresser as well. While the weight remains, I am much healthier at my current weight than I would be were I not taking steps to change it.

I agree that sometimes we face times in our lives where it seems like we have no choice, but even if we can't choose our circumstances, we can always choose our attitude. Sure, it can be hard to have a positive attitude when our circumstances are anything but positive, but a negative attitude is no less hard to maintain. With God's help, we have the power to choose joy, choose to follow, and choose our hard. Pick wisely.