Why I Keep Showing Up Even When It’s Hard

Jason Pedersen

Some mornings, I wake up and wonder what the hell I’m even doing.

Not just with work. With life.

There are days where everything feels uphill — where nothing’s fair, no one understands, and even the people who say they support you don’t really see what it takes just to keep going.

I’ve felt that. More than once.

And yet — I show up.

I show up to the shop when I’m tired.
I show up to the work even when I don’t know exactly how I’m going to solve it.
I show up to my responsibilities when I’d rather disappear.
I show up in prayer, even when it feels like no one’s listening.

Not because it’s easy. Not because I’m strong. But because I believe something powerful happens when you just… refuse to quit.

There’s this idea we feed people — that healing or success or peace should feel good.
But what I’ve found is that the stuff that actually changes you rarely feels good in the moment.

It feels like sweat.
Like swallowing your pride.
Like choosing silence instead of defending yourself for the hundredth time.
Like holding your tongue.
Like walking back into a fight you didn’t start — but still have to finish.

I don’t have everything figured out.
I still mess up. I still question myself.
But I’ve built something.
Not just a business — but a life I’m willing to fight for.

And that’s why I show up.

Even when I’m tired.
Even when I’m misunderstood.
Even when it feels like no one’s on my side.
Even when I’m afraid it won’t be enough.

I show up because I’m not done yet.
And I refuse to let the world decide who I am.

Location: Springville, UT, USA

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