Things of Value Do Not Come Easy.
This is probably not a revelation for you, but I bet if you’re being honest, you would tell me that you sure wish they did!
And for the first part of my life I would have heartily agreed with you, but not now. I am quite clear that the difficulties, struggles, adversities….whatever label you want to put on them, have made my life better in every single case.
I’m not saying I have enjoyed them. I’m not a masochist. I like smooth sailing as much as the next person. In fact, I very much appreciate smooth sailing in the few times they happen, because I have experienced a substantial amount of adversity, so when I’m not in the midst of it, I fully enjoy the experience.
Having said that, I am rarely without adversity and challenge of some sort, because I am constantly trying to do better at the things I do and in the person I am becoming, and I am constantly taking on new challenges that require me to stretch. This is why I can so genuinely tell you that your hardships, whatever they may be, are having a wonderful impact on you as you push through.
I Want for You to Have the Best Life You Possibly Can.
And it is in THIS spirit that I hope you consistently have some measure of difficulty in your life. The only way you can possibly become all you are uniquely created to be, with your specific set of gifts, talents, strengths, interests, passions, and affinities, is to continuously improve. Only through doing things that stretch you can this happen. No one’s life ever got better by living a life of ease.
Here are Seven Important Things Your Difficulties are Doing For You:
Revealing You: Difficult times in any measure and in any area of life, show you who you are in that space of life at the moment. They act like a “YOU ARE HERE” map. This shows you exactly what you need to work on to get better and move forward.
Growing you: Growth of any kind has aches and pains. It doesn’t matter if it’s in business, a relationship, in your personal development, or in your physical health. You have to experience a little pain to grow.
Making You Grateful: The more challenging things are, the more gratitude you will have for what’s NOT a challenge. The more gratitude you have for what you are already blessed with. And ultimately, the more gratitude you will have for the progress you make.
Making You More Empathic: How can you possibly relate to someone else’s struggles if you haven’t had any of your own? It’s easy to sit on the sidelines of life and point fingers at the people on the field, because you have no idea what it’s like for those on the field. Get on the field. Struggle, and you will be able to relate and serve others better.
Building Your Confidence: Yes, struggling will build confidence. Counterintuitive? Yes, maybe a little, but pushing through a struggle and gaining the fruit of having done so, serves you by showing yourself what you may be capable of. This grows your confidence to face the next, higher challenge that will emerge.
Expanding Your Comfort Zone: Your comfort zone is a massive limiter in your life. Everything you want to see happen new is outside of it. Difficulties are uncomfortable because they are putting you somewhere you don’t want to be. Be thankful for this. Whether you brought them on yourself by a decision to pursue something, or whether it was inflicted on you by circumstances beyond your control, this is expanding your comfort zone, and it will never shrink back to the smaller cage unless you choose it. This opens an entirely new world of opportunity in life for you.
Building Your Character Strength: All of it leads to this. You become tougher and more resilient. You suddenly aren’t as bothered by little things that used to create anxiety and stress. Have you ever noticed how some people seem to glide through really tough things? This is because they have been through a lot of hard times, and as a result things that others think are hard, they see as just another thing to walk through. In Malcolm Gladwell’s book “David and Goliath” he shares research about how a higher percentage people who grew up with learning disabilities tend to become highly successful. Why? Because even learning how to READ was incredibly hard for them. It seasoned them and conditioned them to face things that would feel difficult to others as just another day.
I can attest personally to the absolute truth of all of this. Given my nature of low-esteem, and my chemical wiring of anxiety and depressive tendencies, there aren’t many days in my life that aren’t difficult. And I am so grateful that this is my path.
This is one of the reasons I am so freakishly passionate about how the “3 Circles Living” platform paves the way for an awesome life, and a truly successful life (whatever your definition of this is). It will simply build you as a person step by step to be able to navigate through most anything while eventually positioning you to pursue the desires of your heart.
Here is a video I did some time ago about how to reframe adversity. I hope it serves as another helper for you in these current times.
I hope you found this helpful. Please share with others if you believe they would benefit.
Here is a recent video on How to Design an Awesome Life
If you need some coaching reach out to me.
Many Blessings, Todd
P.S. The health journey is challenging for many people as they struggle with motivation to do the things they need to. Here is a short video where I talk about the “Pink Fuel,” a product that helps with reducing hunger and boosting energy, focus, and mood, naturally. It is one of the best “gateway” products for moving into a healthier lifestyle I have seen in 31 years. Let me know if you would like a link to order and try at wholesale, or if you would like more information. This is helping a lot of people.
