looking straight ahead / looking square at, looking someone or something straight in the face

look straight ahead / look square at, look someone or something straight in the face

personal determination, resolution

resolve, decide, come down (on a course of action)

to go forward, to advance, to progress / to improve, to progress

voluntarily; willingly

progress

difficult, trying, hard

difficulties, hardship, trouble

he / distal demonstrative, something far off removed from both speaker and listener: that / boyfriend