Struggling with something now? Had more than you share of struggle? Had a struggle-free life (I seriously doubt it)?
Why is it that all of us sooner or later struggle in life with; our careers, our relationships, finances, health or a myriad of other life circumstances? Cause it’s normal, yes struggle comes with life and I can personally attest that as one who has spent his life learning, growing and living with optimism and hope that we can never avoid struggle of one kind or another sooner or later – I know I have not been able to avoid it.
So, if struggle is a normal part of life why do so many people wish they had fewer struggles? Cause struggle is a pain in the A___, that’s why.
Is there a reason for struggle? YES!
OK Tim, I don’t buy it, but for now I will listen so tell me why the struggles I have faced are good or good for me?
First of all some of us face more struggles in life than others and we all face different ones. Some may struggle with money while others have more of it that they could ever spend but they struggle with some other life circumstance. Money, luck, hard work, optimism or good genes will never eliminate struggle from your life.
Struggle like any other life situation gives us two simple choices – whine, complain, blame, feel like a victim or let whatever is happening cause anger, resentment or guilt. OR, we can; grow, learn, say thank you or accept what is happening that we can’t control and make the best of it.
Notice I just said – control? There are some things in life we can’t control and there are many things we can. We can work hard and save money but there is no guarantee these skills or traits will give us immunity to those things we can’t control like; stupid drivers who slam into our trunk, weather that ruins an outdoor wedding or millions of other negative life circumstances. But we can control our attitudes, life outlook, what we consume, what we do with our time and how we react to things we can’t control.
Simply put – struggle is a teacher. We can learn from it or not. If we do, there is a good chance we can avoid similar struggles again in the future. If we don’t, rest assured you will face another similar struggle again at some point in your future.
Yes, good habits, mindsets, values and behavior can help us avoid some of life’s struggles but not all of them. And why not? We are human, we make mistakes, we make bad decisions and choices and in life there are always consequences. Save and spend wisely and you will most likely have a comfortable retirement. Spend all you earn as you earn it and you will most likely have to work your butt of till the day you die.
Eat too many of the wrong foods and when you break the scale as you check your weight yep – you’ll have to go buy another scale.
Treat your body as a temple and you might live a long and healthy life – note I said MAY? Lifespan is based on two things and two things only – genetic makeup and lifestyle choices.
You can control only one of these so you have a 50/50 chance of a long life no matter how you live each day.
Struggle is never easy but consider – where you are, how far you have come, who you are now because of the struggles you have faced and how you dealt with them.
You either have a victim mentality and no sense of personal responsibility or you can look in the mirror and smile as you say to yourself, “I am better, wiser and smarter today because of the way I have handled my previous struggles.
Before I wrap this up, I need to say one more thing about struggle – if you are not struggling now or never have, I’ll bet it’s cause you have never tried anything new, stretched yourself or wandered into unchartered territory in life, you just have an apathetic life attitude or you just love staying in ‘blame or whine mode’.
I’ll leave you with a question – which is your life approach – to learn as you go and keep using what you learn to create a better future or to fail to take mature responsibility for what life puts on your plate? Guess which group tends to be the happiest, have the most inner peace and yes, has greater and enduring success? Your turn . . .
“The important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle.”
Pierre de Coubertin