The world is changing fast.
And many people feel stuck today because they have stopped growing. They wait for luck to find them. They hope things will get easier.
However, the truth is that the world doesn’t get easier; you just have to get better.
There is a Japanese phrase that captures this feeling perfectly: Tsuyoku Naritai.
It means, “I want to become stronger.” This is about gaining strength for your body, your mind, your skills, and your soul.
Becoming stronger is the fuel you need to reach your highest self.
The Danger of Staying the Same
In the modern world, not learning new skills is a recipe for disaster.
Everything around us is moving at lightning speed. Technology evolves. Jobs disappear.
The skills that worked yesterday won’t work tomorrow.
If you don’t grow, your personal life feels empty. You feel like you have no control over your future. This leads to sadness and a lack of confidence.
Professionally, it’s even riskier. Jobs that existed five years ago are disappearing. New technology is taking over.
People have stopped getting stronger
If you aren’t “getting stronger” by learning, you become replaceable. You lose the power to choose your path.
You end up taking whatever is left over.
What is Tsuyoku Naritai?
Tsuyoku Naritai (強くなりたい) is a deep, honest cry from the heart.
It is the moment you look in the mirror and decide you are not enough yet. It is often found in Japanese stories (including manga and anime), but it is a very real philosophy for life.
Tsuyoku Naritai is the spark that turns a victim into a hero.
Let me share a story that illustrates this perfectly.
There was once a young martial artist named Kenji who trained under a master swordsman.
Every day, Kenji practised the same basic techniques. Thousands of strikes, blocks, and movements.
One day, frustrated, Kenji asked his master: “When will I learn the advanced techniques? When will I be strong enough?”
The master smiled. “You misunderstand strength. Strength isn’t reaching a destination. Strength is the journey itself.
Each day you choose to train, you embody Tsuyoku Naritai.
The question isn’t ‘when will I be strong?’ The question is ‘am I becoming stronger today than I was yesterday?'”
That moment changed Kenji forever.
He stopped worrying about the endpoint and started focusing on daily growth.
Years later, he became a master himself. Not because he reached some final level, but because he never stopped wanting to become stronger.
Why “Getting Stronger” Matters in Everyday Life
You might think, “I’m not a warrior, why do I need to be stronger?”
You must know that life is full of invisible battles. Strength helps you handle stress at work. It helps you stay calm when things go wrong at home.
In the modern world, “strength” means skill.
AI is changing how we work. New industries appear overnight. Old ones vanish just as quickly.
In this chaos, one thing separates winners from losers: the hunger to keep growing.
The single word, yet, changes everything about becoming stronger in the modern world
When you commit to being stronger, you stop complaining. You start looking for solutions. You become the person everyone looks to when things get hard.
5 Steps to Adopt the Tsuyoku Naritai Philosophy
Becoming stronger doesn’t happen by accident.
You need a plan. Here are five simple steps to start your journey today.
1. Admit Where You Are Weak
You cannot fix a hole in a boat if you pretend it isn’t there.
Be honest about what you are bad at. Write it down and make it real. Then decide: “Today, I’ll get 1% stronger in this area.”
This is the first step to growth.
2. Find Your “Why”
Why do you want to be better?
Is it for your family? Your bank account? Your pride?
A strong “Why” keeps you going when you want to quit.
3. Practice the “Small Wins”
Don’t try to change everything at once.
Instead, embrace tiny improvements. Pick one skill and work on it for 15 minutes a day. Small drops of water eventually fill a bucket.
Stack these micro-improvements for months, and you’ll look back amazed at how far you’ve travelled.
4. Seek Out Challenges
Comfort is the enemy of strength.
Stop taking the easy way out. Choose the harder task. Talk to the person who intimidates you.
Strength grows through resistance.
5. Never Say “I’m Done”
The journey of Tsuyoku Naritai has no finish line.
Even when you become great, look for the next level.
A true master is a lifelong student.
Real Examples of Tsuyoku Naritai in Action
Many of the most successful people in history lived by this code. They weren’t born “strong”; they built themselves.
Miyamoto Musashi: He was a legendary Japanese swordsman.
He spent his whole life travelling and learning.
Musashi never thought he was “strong enough,” so he kept refining his mind and art until his final breath.
Arnold Schwarzenegger: He started as a skinny boy in a small village.
He decided he wanted to be the strongest man in the world.
Schwarzenegger used that drive to conquer bodybuilding, acting, and politics.
Aliko Dangote: Nigeria’s most successful businessman didn’t get there by luck.
He focused on building “strength” in trade and industry.
Dangote constantly expanded his skills and his business reach, never settling for “good enough.”
Michael Jordan: He was cut from his high school basketball team.
Instead of quitting, he used that pain to fuel his desire to be stronger.
Jordan practised harder than anyone else until he became the best to ever play.
The Journey to Your Highest Self
The biggest reason to start this journey is simple: it gives your life meaning.
When you strive to be stronger, you discover who you really are. You find out that you are capable of much more than you thought. You shed your old, limited self and step into a new, more confident version of yourself.
Tsuyoku Naritai is the key that unlocks your potential.
It turns a “normal” life into an adventure. It is the beginning of everything great. By deciding to become stronger, you are taking the first step toward becoming your highest self.
Don’t wait for tomorrow. Start getting stronger right now.
Tsuyoku-Naritai is a timeless concept to get stronger in the modern world
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