Photo credit: http://siliconangle.com/blog/2013/04/18/live-wrap-up-of-openstack-summit-2013-with-dave-vellante/david-and-goliath-sumos22/
Hello Dear One,
How many times have you said or heard someone say “challenges make us grow,” or “challenges stretch us”? Upon hearing this statement I bet you agreed! (Or maybe you grumbled and said “yeah right!”) 🙂
If you really agree with that statement, can you also say that the last time you had a challenge, you acted on this knowledge? Most likely not.
Think of the most recent challenge you faced – that could be ANYTHING that troubled you, concerned you, made you anxious and got you upset – and recall how you handled the situation.
Did you say to yourself – “this will stretch me and grow me, let me be alert for the lessons”?
If you did – HOORAY for you. That is a wonderful place to exist.
If not, why not? Do you believe challenges lead to growth but… you also believe there are exceptions and you have the right to determine those exceptions based on how upset you are or how big or important the situation might be?
If you want to be able to walk the talk of this statement but you have faltered from time to time, here is your opportunity to “face it, finally!”
When we face our faults we have the chance to fix them. When we don’t and rationalize away each situation with a handy explanation, we stop growing in that area.
Take a few minutes and reflect…which of the challenges in your life have you been avoiding? How can you improve how you handle conflict, stress and anxiety when they pop up? Consider your last couple of challenges and reflect on these questions.
Do the following if you truly beleive challenges are the source of your growth:
- Select 2 or 3 of the challenges you thought about above, that you are avoiding or denying… taking on some ambitious, bold goal? Forgiving yourself or someone else? Starting a business, taking a position or defending a cause, going back to school, having that conversation, making that phone call, confronting a situation, changing or eliminating a bad habit, facing a fear…. Select the ones you are most challenged by
- Once you have determined your top 3 challenging challenges, write them in a journal, one per page
- Under each challenge write as much as you can about the source of the challenge – why is this perceived as more difficult than the others? When did that perception of difficulty begin? How do you feel about doing it ( the good the bad and the ugly) and how would you like to finally face it? What are your resources – spiritual, physical, people and otherwise, for getting this thing done?
- Imagine – vividly for about 10 minutes what your reactions and emotions would be today if you faced the challenge and got it done, FINALLY!
- Then, push through this perceived difficulty and write your intention and commitment to yourself to do this thing!!!
- DO IT! Just do it. Take a step, then get it DONE!
- Reflect, write and share with someone about taking action in this area…about facing it, finally!
It’s the challenges you avoid most in life that represent your greatest source of growth, inspiration and reward. So I URGE you, run TO them as fast as you can!
Wishing you an abundance of peace, joy and light,
~♥~
