No one is exempt from struggles. We are constantly faced with difficulties whether it be relationships, loss, finances, health and all of the above. But is it possible to look at these perceived challenges and be thankful for what they can offer to us? 

The person who identifies the gains of joining a gym and putting their body through such intense physical labor brings an identified meaning to their hard work. 

They become more focused on why the physical training is important to them and this reward is what seemingly energizing them to push through along the way. 

This same person recognizes with their all that the work they have to do will be difficult, but yet they empower them-self to rise above it because they know deep within, it will be a valuable gain to them.

The difficulty their mind and body will endure will not change much during their rigorous workout, but the focus of the person can shift away from the struggles of the challenge to the reasons as to why they should welcome them. 

As the person’s body aches in pain from exerting them-self, they should not dismiss it but instead recognize the parts of the body in need and nurture those areas until they feel relief. From there, they can begin to welcome the new direction that their journey is leading them to.

If we focused on life’s challenges with the same intent, we can begin to find value in the inner growth that takes place as we experience life’s challenges. We may not want to welcome the pain per say but we can trust that there is a deeper meaning behind it. 

By desiring to become our best self, we can begin to shift the focus away from our struggles on to the deeper meaning behind what this type of inner growing could be offering to us. We can learn to begin to be more gentle with ourselves and nurture the parts of us that need our attention in aims for a fresh start. 

Pain, itself, can begin to diminish as we move away from viewing our difficulties as a life sentence and more like opportunities to develop, practice and reinforce inner growth. 

As we shift away from viewing the process as a challenge solely, to trusting that there is something greater to be had beyond the struggle, we become more resilient. We are able to see past the issue at hand and know with our everything that we are more than our problems. 

The challenges we endure are for a higher purpose. They strengthen our faith, which in turn, guides us to our highest self. 

The less we identify with the challenge and the more we recognize what the difficulty offers to us, the less reactive we become. 

There is a great reward in pushing ourself towards this type of self-actualization. We become fulfilled in knowing our struggles serve a purpose and that we are getting closer to reaching our final destination. We are working our way back home. 

Dr. Jennifer Picinic

Certified Spiritual Counselor