No one is born strong; they just endure it all.

There are no born strongmen in this world. Behind every glamorous facade lies a story of gritted teeth and unwavering resilience. Life is never exceptionally kind to anyone. Those who seem to withstand everything are merely hiding their tears, swallowing their grievances, and fighting life to the bitter end time and time again in places unseen.

Whose life hasn't been brutally beaten by reality? Back in my early graduating years, I was crammed into a tiny rented room in an urban village. The walls were crumbling, the noise from next door was constant from morning till night, and my paycheck barely covered rent and food. My pockets were emptier than my face. When friends invited me to dinner, I'd find countless excuses to decline, afraid of not being able to afford the small gift. Working overtime until late at night, walking on empty streets, a bowl of hot instant noodles was the greatest comfort. Some couldn't endure it, complaining about the hard work and the poor environment, quitting on a whim, only to find themselves, after all the ups and downs, still achieving nothing. But some people grit their teeth and persevere, treating their boss's criticism as experience and their clients' difficulties as training. They hold back when they feel like smashing their keyboards, and hold on when they feel like collapsing. Slowly, they develop solid skills.

There are no born experts in the workplace; it's all about the resilience they cultivate through hard work. I know a friend who works in sales. When he first started, he even stuttered when talking to clients. He didn't close a single deal in his first month and was publicly criticized by his boss. He hid in the stairwell, secretly wiping away tears, but he never thought of giving up. He wrote down clients' rejections in a notebook and practiced his responses over and over again. While others watched TV dramas after get off work, he practiced his delivery in front of the mirror. While others rested on weekends, he traveled to every corner of the city to visit clients. Once, to close a big deal, he waited outside a client's company for an entire afternoon in the pouring rain, soaked to the bone, but still smiling as he handed over his proposal. After enduring this for over half a year, he went from being at the bottom of the company to becoming the top salesperson. When recalling the hardships of those early days, he simply said, "Those tough days were like whetstones, sharpening my dull knife into a sharp blade."

It's not just office workers; every ordinary person struggling to make ends meet endures their own struggles. At three in the morning, the breakfast stall owner is already set up, chopping fillings and kneading dough in the cold wind, her hands red and cracked from the cold, yet she still adds an extra egg for regular customers, smiling and saying, "Eat it while it's hot." In hospital corridors, family members sleeping on the floor face tens of thousands of yuan in medical bills while caring for their sick loved ones, their eyes filled with exhaustion, yet they never give up. Wiping away their tears, they can still calmly discuss the condition with the doctor. Artistic youths in Beijing, to pay rent, work odd jobs in office buildings during the day, only to return to their rented rooms at night to dig out their dusty guitars and scripts, writing songs and revising manuscripts while eating instant noodles. Life is bitterly hard, but they never lose the light in their hearts.

They are all ordinary people, without extraordinary abilities or grand pronouncements. They simply chose their direction and stubbornly forged ahead. They know that life will not be lenient with you just because you pity them. Instead of complaining about the unfairness of fate, they chose to carve out their own path. Like the street vendors, rain or shine, they set up their stalls on time every day, diligently tending to their little stalls even though they earn meager wages. Like the construction workers, toiling under the scorching sun, carrying bricks and building walls, sweating profusely, yet thinking of earning more money to pay for their children's tuition and buy their parents new clothes. Ordinary people in this world are all struggling against life in their own way.

Some people envy the outward success of others, their young achievements, and their seemingly carefree lives. But you never see how much hardship they endure behind the scenes. Those who appear to have everything going smoothly may have broken down in tears in the dead of night, may have been driven to the brink by life, but they never expose their vulnerability to others. Like those glamorous entrepreneurs, you see them standing on stage receiving awards, but you don't see them running to countless companies, being rejected hundreds of times, just to secure funding; you see their companies growing bigger and bigger, but you don't see them living in the office for months on end, eating countless bowls of instant noodles to meet project deadlines. There is no such thing as effortless success in this world; all brilliance is forged through hardship.

Having light in your heart isn't about indulging in unrealistic daydreams, but about seeing the harsh realities of life and still choosing to love what you have. It's like walking in the fog, with mud underfoot and darkness all around, but as long as you've chosen your direction, you keep moving forward step by step, even if you take detours, even if you fall, you never turn back. If you fall, you get up, brush off the mud, and keep going; if you break down, you stop, hug yourself, wipe away your tears, and start again. That's how people grow stronger through repeated perseverance and relentless struggle.

Life is never smooth sailing; there are always bumps and unexpected surprises. Perhaps you're currently at a low point, struggling at work, struggling financially, and seeing no hope for the future; perhaps you're overwhelmed by trivial matters, physically and mentally exhausted, and have considered giving up countless times. But please remember, all the difficult days are temporary, and all the suffering you've endured will not be in vain. Those nights you've stayed up, the hardships you've suffered, the difficulties you've overcome will eventually become stepping stones, leading you step by step to dawn; those times you've gritted your teeth and persevered will eventually become light, illuminating your path forward.

Don't be afraid of the difficulties before you, don't complain about life's unfairness. All the hardships you endure today will be your foundation for tomorrow. There is no such thing as innate strength; all resilience is forged through perseverance; all growth is achieved through endurance. As long as you don't give up, as long as you dare to persevere, life will always give you a satisfactory answer. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, and the paths you've walked, the hardships you've suffered, will one day blossom and bear fruit.