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This "hip-hop" style song reinforces motivation to mastery rather than learned helplessness.  Very early in life children develop an orientation to learning that reflects their associations to the experience of effort.  Children with a mastery motivation associate effort with eventual success.  They choose challenging tasks, they're persistent, they try different ways to solve problems, etc.  Children who develop learned helplessness associate effort with failure.  They avoid challenging tasks and they quit when things get hard.  You can see how important the motivation to mastery is to school success.

Lyrics
You want easy or hard? Hey, you know me!
You want easy or hard? Hey, you know me!
You want easy or hard? Hey, you know me!
You want easy or hard? Huh, I want the

Chorus:
Tough Stuff -  Deep inside I've got enough for the
Tough Stuff -  Challenges are what I love, so bring on the
Tough Stuff -  Give me something to rise above
Give me, give me, give me, give me the Tough Stuff

Some people choose the easy way
That's their choice, that's O.K.
But I choose the Tough Stuff when I can
It makes me work, it makes me plan
It takes me to a higher height
Helps me turn the wrong to right
Lifts me to a better place
Check out the smile while I tackle the

Repeat chorus

Even tough sometimes I loose
The Tough Stuff is what I choose
No matter what, I know that I'm
Getting better every time
I could do just enough to just get by
But someday I'm really gonna have to try
So why not try right now, today
That's why I always say, "Hey, give me the

Repeat chorus

Reach a little farther
Try a little harder
Work a little longer
Get a lot smarter
Reach, try, work, get farther, harder, longer, smarter
You know what I'm thinking of, I said
You know what I'm thinking of, it's the

Repeat chorus

You want easy or hard? Hey, you know me!
You want easy or hard? Hey, you know me!
You want easy or hard? Hey, you know me!
You want easy or hard? Huh, I want the Tough Stuff

Tips  for Parents 

• If you heard a parent say, "Look how fast you solved that puzzle. You're so smart" you would think that this is a good supportive interaction.  However, if the consistent message is that when things come fast and easy, the child is smart, when she encounters a challenging task that takes effort and time, she concludes that she must be stupid.  Remember that as parents, we should praise effort rather than intelligence.

This song is part of our Songs of Motivation series, which consist of the following eight song titles:
Celebrate
I Build Inside
I Keep On Going
I'm Gonna Be Me
My Mind is Like a Muscle
Sometimes It Takes a Few Mistakes
There's Another Way to Do it
Tough Stuff

This song is available in the following formats:

• Download this song in MP3 format
• Download all 8 Songs of Motivation songs
• Receive the CD via Mail (shipping/handling charges apply)