The Struggle
The struggle is real - not just against setbacks and disappointments, but against ourselves.
Live for Today, Plan for Tomorrow
Your record for making it to today is 100%. That’s worth celebrating. Live for today, enjoy it, but don’t forget to plan for tomorrow — because tomorrow always comes. Better things may be waiting, but they only arrive if you’ve prepared for them.
Sometimes You Don’t Get to Choose
Life doesn’t always offer easy choices. Sometimes you do everything right, work hard at the right things, and still lose. That’s reality. The question becomes: how do you respond? Who are you when the choices are out of your hands?
This is where character is revealed — whether you rage, despair, or accept with grace.
Sometimes You Don’t Win, No Matter How Hard You Try
You won’t win every battle. Nobody does. The important part is aligning your expectations with your actions. Don’t expect a million-dollar gift to fall into your lap. Focus on the small, daily wins you can control: words written, lessons learned, relationships built.
The Big Question: Why Am I Here?
It’s an age-old struggle. People wrestle with the meaning of life, and some even reject the fact of their existence. But you’re here. That part isn’t up to you.
The real question is: what will you do with the time you’ve been given?
The Bigger Question: What Can I Do With This Short Life?
Life is short, and the only real legacy we leave is what we do with it. Family, children, kindness, service — and for us as authors, our words.
Your intellectual property is part of your legacy. The stories you create entertain, inspire, and offer escape to people who need it. Every day you sit down to write, you’re adding to something bigger than yourself. That’s living for today while still planning for tomorrow.
Final Thought
The struggle is real — not just against setbacks and disappointments, but against ourselves. We wrestle with anger, frustration, and unfairness while still needing to fold laundry, pack lunches, and get words written.
In the end, you are defined by how you respond to life’s struggles. Do the work, love the people around you, and leave behind something worth remembering. That’s how we honor the struggle — and turn it into meaning.
The Struggle - Original Medium Article
The Struggle - Over 1000 Five Minute Focus videos on the Successful Indie Author YouTube Channel
Craig Martelle is an author, leader, and entrepreneur living in Alaska. Retired from the Marine Corps military intelligence community and physical security, he graduated summa cum laude from law school and went into business consulting. From intelligence, to the inner workings of company boardrooms, to on-the-ground leadership, Craig has seen it firsthand.
He is a million-selling author of over 200 science fiction (post-apocalyptic, military sci-fi, and space opera), thrillers, and the non-fiction series, Successful Indie Author. Craig has been running author conferences since 2017, and also the Successful Indie Author Facebook Group, and the Successful Indie Author YouTube Channel.
Leadership is a service, not a crown to lord over others.
Amen, Craig.