The value of hanging tough when it feels like you can't do anything right.

I was not an easy teenager to raise.

In fact, sometimes when I reflect back to these years, I just cringe as I consider all that my parents endured in the name of shoving me out of the nest ready to fly.

I was awkward.

I was smart, but hated this fact because it jeopardized my popularity (thank GOD nerddom is celebrated and revered today, huh?)

I was moody (a gross understatement).

Unsure of myself.

And because of this? I wasn't very nice to my parents sometimes, especially my dad. Poor fellow just didn't know what to do with this small, emotional alien living in his home a lot of the time.

I'm certain that I just exhausted my poor dad, with frequency.

Two years ago, almost to this day, my dad died. Suddenly, and very unexpectedly.

Some days, I miss him so much that I can barely breathe.

My dad taught me something very important. Something I think is incredibly relevant to anyone struggling with a lengthy job search or tough career transition.

My dad taught me the value of hanging tough.

He taught me, not through direct lesson but by serving as a living example, that staying calm, focused and committed -- even when it feels like you just can't do a damned thing right?

Can and will pay dividends.

He didn't lose it (most of the time, anyways). He didn't throw in the towel on me. He just continued on doing his job, which was to teach me how to be a strong, healthy adult.

If you're a job seeker thinking that you just can't do anything right, I absolutely encourage you to evaluate your overall search strategy. Crack the lid open on how you're going about this, and consider how/if you can make improvements to the game plan.

Just don't throw in the towel altogether. Hang tough, stay focused.

This is your life. You owe it to yourself, and the people around you, to make damned sure it's spectacular.