There is that old idiom, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.”
You know the one.
Billy Ocean has never stopped singing since the 1980s.
But, is Billy right?
I don’t think he is.
Well, partly.
I know Billy means well, but seriously, where is it exactly the tough are going?
Are they going en masse for some sales shopping?
Are they wrestling alligators?
Are they perhaps going to Disney World Florida in peak season?
You see when the going gets tough, and I mean really tough, then the tough don’t charge headfirst into battle.
- When the going gets tough, the tough take a few deep breaths
- When the going gets tough, the tough pause and compose themselves
- When the going gets tough, the tough gather sufficient information
- When the going gets tough, the tough they choose their battles
- When the going gets tough, the tough sometimes hang back
- When the going gets tough, the tough get wise and walk away
Sometimes when the going gets tough, the tough put on their dressing gown, a pair of slippers and watch a movie on Netflix.
Rather than climb any mountain or swim any sea, the tough sometimes just put the kettle on and have a cup of tea.
And that’s perfectly acceptable because being tough requires some downtime in order to recharge the batteries and have a break from all that sword clashing and grunting.
The phrase may have been originally coined as a motivational rocket up the rear end but it can also have the opposite effect.
The tough don’t always get going, they like to sit down and put their feet up so they can preserve their well-being and sanity.
The tough know all about self-care and self-preservation because without time out they know they will be in a tough spot.
When the going does get tough, tough people aren’t afraid to retreat. They allow themselves to tough it out on the couch.
So the next time someone goes all Billy Ocean on you and shares his antimetabole, kindly remind them that tough cookies have soft centres too.
We like Billy, but all this tough talk can’t be doing Billy any good and so I think maybe he needs persuading to revisit those lyrics.
When the going gets tough, the tough take it easy.
Then they get going after that!