I heard this phrase the other day and it stuck with me. “Don’t ask if it’s hard, ask if it’s worth it.” I love that! What a great way to focus on the bigger picture and get a better idea of what we should push through and what we should quit. Here are three things to consider.
Everything meaningful requires resistance: We live in a time when, at least in the US, our goal is to be comfortable. To work less while making more. So it’s hard to measure how hard we should work for what we want. Shouldn’t it be easier?
The things that shape us most, like healthy relationships, raising children, building a business, healing, pursuing purpose, are rarely easy: Hard does not automatically mean wrong. Sometimes difficulty is simply the price of growth. The “worth it” question changes your perspective. When we only ask, “Is this hard?” we focus on discomfort. But when we ask, “Is this worth it?” we focus on value, purpose, and long-term impact. That shift helps us endure temporary pain for something greater. Again, not easy to do when the goal is comfort and when social media tells us it should be easier.
Not everything should be pushed through: This is where it gets tricky. What should we push through and what should we let go of? It depends on what the long term goal is. Some things are hard but empty. Others are hard and deeply meaningful. The goal is not to glorify struggle—it’s to discern which struggles are attached to purpose, peace, growth, or calling.
Life will always ask something of us. The question is not whether it costs us something. The question is whether what’s on the other side is valuable enough to keep going.