Why Try? The Struggle is Real.

Life. Isn’t it interesting how we expect things to go easy, ALL THE TIME? I mean we come against something hard and we panic, freak out, wonder what we are doing wrong. Is it our culture that has information at our fingertips, a store within 5 minutes selling anything we might need, and quick meals on every corner that sets us up for this unrealistic expectation?

Now I know (legitimately KNOW) that life is hard and that struggle is real. We all know this and yet we baulk at challenges or difficulty.

In fact some of us just quit…

It’s true. We imagine all the things that could go wrong, might go wrong, will go wrong and we decide it is not worth trying.

Or, we’re so paralyzed by our own super critical thought dialogue that we are doomed before we start.

Or, we hear some voice from the past that told us we couldn’t do much and we listen to it once again.

Or, we picture how we failed the last time and we give up.

Maybe struggle IS one of the best gifts of life. What if struggle births maturity, strength, and true beauty? In fact, I am not sure anything of real substance or meaning comes without struggle?

Here are some examples that come to mind:

• The butterfly comes from the struggle out of the cocoon.
• A mom giving birth to a child in hard intense labor.
• Muscles grow by pushing the physical limits (painful reminder from my morning workout).
• Crops don’t grow without hard work to till, sow, and reap.
• Homes and buildings aren’t built without hard physical labor.

What if learning to encounter and deal with challenges IS what defines success.

Yet so many of us live in the past or the future. The past reminds us of all our past hurts and failures. The future has so many potential problems. We focus in both directions and we freeze…

Yet NOW is what we have, it is all we have and all we ever have.

NOW is powerful, present, unwritten.

NOW is healing, centering and full of hope.

NOW is a new page of a new story that you purposefully write yourself.

We look back to understand, heal, and grow. So we can be fully present in the NOW.

Encountering difficulty? Take hope, you are not alone. We all struggle with something.

Doubting if you can try? Take a risk, dealing with the challenges that come is part of the journey. Risking IS succeeding.

Discouraged? Take heart, be the biggest supporter and encourager of you…if you don’t who will? Find outside support, your cheering section…they are out there.

Need help? Take action, help is available. There are so many resources of help and hope around. Support groups, church groups, growth groups, counselors, mentors, or coaches. Investing in you is the best investment you can make.

You are not alone. We are all walking the bumpy road of life with you. Look around it’s a beautiful day to keep going…