DO WHAT SUCKS – THE HIDDEN KEY TO SUCCESS AND SPIRITUAL GREATNESS
Life is full of ups and downs. Every human being on this planet, whether rich or poor, young or old, faces struggles. Some struggles are visible to everyone, like hunger, poverty, or hard labor. Some struggles are hidden, like anxiety, loneliness, or depression.
But no matter what shape struggle takes, one truth is always the same: LIFE WILL TEST YOU.
And in those moments of testing, most people run towards comfort. They avoid what feels hard. They escape what feels heavy. They search for shortcuts. But those shortcuts never lead to greatness.
The secret of true success, both in this world and the next, is hidden in one simple principle:
👉 DO WHAT SUCKS.
This may sound strange at first, but let us dive deeply into it.
WHAT DOES “DO WHAT SUCKS” MEAN?
“Do what sucks” means:
- Do the things that feel hard.
- Do the things that your body wants to avoid.
- Do the things that test your patience and discipline.
- Do the things that make you uncomfortable but are necessary for growth.
It does not mean doing useless suffering or harming yourself. No. It means choosing the PATH OF DISCIPLINE OVER THE PATH OF LAZINESS, the PATH OF TRUTH OVER THE PATH OF LIES, the PATH OF SACRIFICE OVER THE PATH OF COMFORT.
Because only through those struggles do we grow.
WHY DOES THIS MATTER?
1. COMFORT KILLS GROWTH
Just imagine a seed. If it stays comfortable in the soil, refusing to break its shell, refusing to push through the hard dirt, refusing to face the burning sun, it will never become a tree.
In the same way, if you and I stay in our comfort zones, we will never grow. Comfort feels nice, but it steals your future.
The gym is painful, but it builds muscles.
Studying is boring, but it builds knowledge.
Patience is bitter, but it builds wisdom.
👉 GROWTH IS HIDDEN INSIDE PAIN.
2. EVERY GREAT PERSON FACED PAIN
Look at history. Every great personality became great because they faced hardships and did what others were not willing to do.
- PROPHET MUHAMMAD (PBUH): He faced hunger, exile, insult, wars, betrayal, and loss of loved ones. Yet he remained patient and truthful. Because of his struggle, Islam reached the entire world. Allah promised him, and all believers:
“INDEED, WITH HARDSHIP COMES EASE.” (QUR’AN 94:6)** - PROPHET MUSA (MOSES, PEACE BE UPON HIM): He was raised in Pharaoh’s palace, but then lived years in exile, facing rejection and struggle, before leading his people to freedom.
- PROPHET ISA (JESUS, PEACE BE UPON HIM): He lived with simplicity, faced rejection, mockery, and hate, yet he continued his mission with love and patience.
- PROPHET YUSUF (JOSEPH, PEACE BE UPON HIM): He was betrayed by his brothers, thrown in a well, sold as a slave, and jailed for a crime he never committed. But he kept faith, and Allah raised him to become a king.
- PROPHET AYUB (JOB, PEACE BE UPON HIM): He lost health, wealth, and family, yet never lost patience or faith. Allah rewarded his patience with greater blessings.
👉 THESE PROPHETS SHOW US THAT TRUE GREATNESS IS BORN IN HARDSHIP.
3. MODERN-DAY EXAMPLES
- THOMAS EDISON failed thousands of times before inventing the light bulb. He said: “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” Doing what sucked led him to bring light to the whole world.
- ABRAHAM LINCOLN failed in business, lost many elections, faced depression, but kept standing up. Finally, he became the President of the United States and changed history.
- MALALA YOUSAFZAI faced bullets and near-death simply because she wanted education. She kept going, and today she is a Nobel Prize winner, inspiring millions of girls around the world.
STORIES OF DOING WHAT SUCKS
🌟 THE STORY OF THE ROCKY ROAD
A king once placed a huge rock in the middle of a road and watched from a distance. Rich merchants, travelers, and noblemen passed by, complaining about the rock, but none tried to move it.
One poor farmer came along, carrying vegetables. Instead of avoiding it, he put down his load and tried to push the rock. It took him a long time, sweat, and exhaustion, but finally he moved it.
Under the rock, he found a bag filled with gold coins and a note from the king: “This is the reward for the one who removes the obstacle.”
👉 THE LESSON? WHAT SUCKS TODAY BECOMES YOUR TREASURE TOMORROW.
🌟 THE STORY OF A COLD MORNING
There was a young boy who wanted to be a soldier. His father told him: “If you cannot wake up early in the cold and train your body, you will never survive on the battlefield.”
At first, waking up early felt like torture. It “sucked.” But the boy kept going. Years later, he became a brave soldier, respected by his nation.
👉 THE PAIN OF THOSE COLD MORNINGS BUILT HIS STRENGTH.
🌟 THE STORY OF IMAM BUKHARI (RAHIMAHULLAH)
Imam Bukhari, the famous collector of Hadith, traveled thousands of miles, often on foot, through deserts and lands, just to verify a single Hadith. Imagine the hunger, thirst, and loneliness he faced.
Why did he do what “sucked”? Because he knew the reward: preserving the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) for all of humanity.
👉 TODAY, HIS BOOK SAHIH AL-BUKHARI IS ONE OF THE MOST TRUSTED BOOKS AFTER THE QUR’AN.
🌟 THE STORY OF THE ATHLETE
Every gold medal you see in the Olympics hides years of pain. Athletes wake up at 4 AM, train when others are sleeping, eat healthy when others are eating junk, and sacrifice comfort daily.
👉 WHY? BECAUSE THEY CHOSE TO DO WHAT SUCKS.
THE SPIRITUAL SIDE
When you force yourself to “do what sucks,” you are not just training your body — you are training your soul.
- PRAYER may feel heavy sometimes, but it polishes the heart.
- FASTING may feel hard, but it teaches patience and self-control.
- CHARITY may feel like loss, but it purifies wealth and brings blessings.
- FORGIVENESS may feel impossible, but it frees your heart.
👉 EVERY ACT OF WORSHIP IN EVERY RELIGION INVOLVES SOME DIFFICULTY. THAT IS BY DESIGN. BECAUSE DIFFICULTY PURIFIES US.
HOW TO START DOING WHAT SUCKS
- START SMALL – Wake up early, take cold showers, pray on time, read one page of Qur’an/Bible daily, do one extra push-up, save one coin for charity.
- FACE FEAR – What you fear is usually where your growth hides. Afraid of public speaking? Start speaking. Afraid of rejection? Face it. Afraid of failure? Try anyway.
- BE CONSISTENT – Doing what sucks once will not change your life. Doing it daily will. Small daily actions create massive change.
- REMEMBER THE REWARD – When it feels unbearable, remind yourself: Every hardship I face for Allah’s sake, for truth, for goodness, will never go wasted.
THE BEAUTY OF STRUGGLE
One day you will look back and smile at the things that once sucked.
- You will thank Allah for every tear, because it made you stronger.
- You will thank Allah for every rejection, because it pushed you closer to Him.
- You will thank Allah for every sacrifice, because it built your destiny.
WITHOUT HUNGER, YOU CANNOT TASTE FOOD.
WITHOUT DARKNESS, YOU CANNOT VALUE LIGHT.
WITHOUT PAIN, YOU CANNOT FEEL JOY.
👉 That is why the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said:
“THE GREATEST REWARD COMES WITH THE GREATEST TRIAL.” (TIRMIDHI)
FINAL MESSAGE
Dear reader, the message is simple:
👉 DO WHAT SUCKS, UNTIL IT BECOMES EASY.
👉 DO WHAT IS PAINFUL, UNTIL IT BECOMES POWERFUL.
👉 DO WHAT IS HARD, UNTIL ALLAH OPENS THE DOORS OF EASE.
Life is too short to waste in comfort. If you want to shine, if you want to leave a legacy, if you want to reach Jannah — then you must choose the path of struggle.
👉 DO WHAT SUCKS TODAY, AND TOMORROW, THE WORLD WILL CELEBRATE YOU, AND ALLAH WILL REWARD YOU.
✨ MAY ALLAH GIVE US ALL THE STRENGTH TO DO WHAT SUCKS, TO FACE OUR NAFS, TO OVERCOME HARDSHIP, AND TO RISE AS TRUE BELIEVERS. AMEEN.