Advantages of Being Tough

When I say tough, what comes to your mind? Maybe Conor McGregor, or Dwayne Johnson, but have you ever thought about people like Donald Trump, Ellen Degeneres, our women marching this past weekend, or what about yourself?

That's right, you! You can become one of the toughest people on the planet if you do it right. I must warn you though that it's all about the willpower and the confidence that you have.

I understand that this may not be for everybody and people are perfectly content with being quiet and taking blows by classmates or coworkers, that's perfectly fine. I'm making this article for people who are dead serious about changing their attitude about life and how they carry themselves.

When I was in middle school, I got bullied. However, my bully did more emotional harm than physical harm, which I tried to clap back with, which did not work. Eventually, I had to say to myself, "When is it going to stop? How will I make it stop?"

It was completely unplanned for me to do. I did not intend on standing up to my bully that day, February 19, 2009. But something clicked that day, this is when I say that I believe God is real because it was like he was calling to me saying that I should stand up to this boy. So I did.

The school system does not want you to stand up for yourself though. My punishment was way worse than my bully's punishment, but that does not matter because it was worth it and I felt a sense of self-worth.

When I came back, I was welcomed back with open arms. The kids in the hallway looked at me like God entered the room. The day I gained respect from everybody was the day that changed everything.

Fast forward to now, I am empowered. I work security and intend on going to bodyguard school to get my certificate in executive protection. My bosses at my work showed me how to toughen up and how to act in situations in a confident manner. I even surrounded myself with friends who share these same values. I also speak my mind, which I am not afraid to do. People can disagree with me on my opinions and they try to put me down, but they don't know who they're talking to. A strong, confident individual who stands by what they say.

Now, I always say that being tough can be self-taught and can be applied to any situation. You have to be able to deal with people in different ways, but as I said, it's all about what your mindset is.

The advantages are amazing. You'll gain more respect, you'll have the confidence to speak your mind when you will, and more importantly, the sense of self-worth that you were trying to find all these years will finally come.

You don't even need to stand up to your bullies to achieve this, it could also be as simple as speaking your mind and letting your voice be heard. Use your first amendment right, rise up and stand out. I would not be writing this today if I didn't discover this for myself. 2018 is the year we speak our minds, 2018 is the year everyone speaks up and rises up.

People will admire you for your confidence, and more importantly, people can see who you really are. There is no need to be quiet anymore. Silence is over and done with, keep standing up for what you believe in. Just do it.