"**But it’s a fine line between tough love and bullying**, isn’t it? What’s the difference? “**I knew the decision was mine**,” Steve said. “And I knew my dad didn’t want me to be him. Number one, a parent needs to set a stage that proves to the child, ‘I’m not trying to just have you do what I say, control you, make you be like me, make you do what I did, ask you to make up for what I didn’t do.’ **My dad showed me early that it wasn’t about him and what he needed**. It truly was ‘I’m giving you all I got.’ “**There was an underlying selflessness to the tough love**,” Steve continued. “I think that’s vital. If any of the tough love is about the parent just trying to control you, well, kids smell it out. In every way possible, I knew my parents were saying, ‘We’re looking to see your success. We’ve left ourselves behind.’” --- **Tags** -- [[quotes]], [[parenting]], [[work-life-balance]], [[ego]], [[humility]], [[adversity]] **Source** -- [[20241030 - B - Grit]] **See Also** -- [[20241030101740 - Q]]