Struggle = Strength?

How’s your day going? Has this week been smooth sailing so far? Are you experiencing a great month or year? I hope so. However, odds are, you have experienced some bumps in the road this month or maybe even today. I’ve been hearing lately the phrase “the struggle is real!” And that can be true. This life can be hard, very hard. Some days, months, and even years can be harder than others.

While meeting recently with a colleague, we were sharing about the struggles in our careers. We were talking about our years of experiences and how it had made us wiser and stronger. We acknowledged that although during times of difficulty it was impossible or at least difficult to see the benefits of the challenge, we’ve come to understand that with each huddle, has come greater ability to handle the next.

As we spent time in this meeting discussing how we are managing different areas of our business, I recognized our comments like, “there is no way I could handle the battles I face today if I hadn’t gone through some of the issues in my past”, or “because of having experienced this or that, I am better prepared for the future” or this one – “hey, if it doesn’t kill you, it will make you stronger!” So, what about you? Do you believe that your difficulties and challenges can result in strength for the future?

As we grow older we have the wonderful benefit of hindsight. Year after year and challenge after challenge, if we examine our lives and these events, we can begin to see how this or that situation might provide great understanding for the future. Some might call this Wisdom. I’ve come to believe that wisdom is most definitely the combination of time + experience. I believe the more time we live + the more we experience, = wisdom is the outcome, if we choose.

I love the saying, “there is no harm in being dumb, just staying that way.” This saying most definitely suggests that we can improve. Boy, am I glad about that. And I know that’s true. I haven’t figured everything out but, I have figured a few things out. I DO NOT make some of the same dumb mistakes today, that I made when I was younger. If you’re married you understand this. I’ve learned a few things along the way.

This BLOG is intended to encourage us, especially those younger than me to the fact that in this life, we can improve ourselves. We experience daily opportunities to do so. Be aware. Pay attention to the circumstances in your life that provide great potential for knowledge, understanding, and eventual wisdom. We may not arrive in this life with great intellect, understanding, and knowledge, but more of these things are available with every day we live, if we choose to obtain them.