Celebrate your wins and honor your struggle. Why we need to commemorate all our experiences.
Some time in the course of our life, many of us seem to adopt an idea that when life is difficult, we have done something “wrong”. We strive to reach the times when all pieces of life are moving along in a cadence and “life is good”: telemarketers aren’t interrupting our dinner, friends invite us places, or we even have friends!
But the truth is, hard times are part of life. People we love die. Family gets injured or we contract an illness. We witness tragedy. Countries carry on wars we don’t understand.
Life is a process of events from which we can glean experiences and lessons. It isn’t a series of events for which we pull the strings for the sake of our own delight. Our job in life is to learn from what is in front of us — struggle or delight.
Oh,.. times of struggle!
If anyone tells you that their entire life is full of grace and bliss, they are either very young or untruthful. Difficulty isn’t an indication that we are flawed people. It does, however, present an opportunity. We can look for the gift in that opportunity.
What we have is the choice in how we react to that time of struggle. If we fight against the difficulty, it becomes more intense, not unlike bindings on an obstacle. If however, we examine what is in front of us, we see opportunity and potential to learn.
There’s a lesson within the trial — always. When we learn from it and use it to shape our future, we can give those hard times more meaning.
Looking for the gift
Finding a gift within a tragedy are tough words to hear when someone is facing a premature death, tragic illness, or senseless crime. Yet, there always is …. something. Perhaps it’s in learning how to receive the kindness of strangers, or a quiet sense within oneself.
Each lesson is as personal as the experience. Sometimes it’s obvious but when it’s hidden, taking time to reflect will reveal it. And often it has something to do with our larger community of humankind.
Seeing beyond the struggle to opportunity and potential doesn’t deny difficulty and pain. Instead, it gives it a sense of meaning beyond ourselves. We can still ache intensely while simultaneously trusting that the pain will give way to something more meaningful that wouldn’t have existed before.
The flip side of the wheel
Life is a wheel, with times of struggle and times of delight. If we make the most of the difficult times, that means one thing for the good times — celebrate them with gleeful abandon. Watch for the next post on new ways to celebrate exuberantly!
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How can I help you find joy within the struggle, and something to celebrate today? I’d love to connect and learn more about you.