Foreword
FOREWORD
BY CHUCK NORRIS
As a young man, I discovered the power of doing hard things. Abject poverty, a father’s alcoholism and desertion of our family, and my own shyness were a few of the obstacles I faced and overcame growing up. My mother always told me, “God has a plan for your life.” And she’s right. Each of us is called to reach for greatness. There really is a hero in all of us. We’ve all been designed by God to be a blessing to many—a hero to some.
But there’s only one way to get there—it’s described by the title of this book: Do Hard Things.
Today we live in a culture that promotes comfort, not challenges. Everything is about finding ways to escape hardship, avoid pain, and dodge duty. In the past, young people were expected to make significant contributions to society. Today, our culture expects very little from teens—not much more than staying in school and doing a few chores. A sad consequence of such low expectations is that life-changing lessons go unlearned.
To whom can we turn to motivate a new generation of giants? I’ve found the answer. Alex and Brett Harris and their book, Do Hard Things.
I know the twins personally and can vouch for their integrity and wisdom. I’ve seen their passion to raise up a new generation of tough-spirited young people. They are amazing young men, uniquely qualified to inspire others to reach for great things.
One of my life’s principles is to develop myself to the maximum of my potential in all ways and to help others do the same. Brett and Alex come straight from the same mold, but with an even greater potential to reach young people around the world.
Their book is far more than a typical how-to book. From an insightful historical overview of the teen years to personal plans for helping teens hurdle tough obstacles, the authors sound a battle cry to raise the cultural bar on teenage potential and to challenge young people to reach for their God-given best.
Do Hard Things will help recruit, develop, and deploy a new generation of young culture warriors. With God’s help, the book you’re holding will usher in an era in which it can once again be said of our youth, “I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one” (1 John 2:14).
Start reading now. Then do hard things!
—Chuck Norris