Struggling is Good!

Am I crazy? Saying that it’s good to struggle?

Actually, that’s one of the most sane things I could say!

If you are a living human being (and if you are reading this, I assume you are ), then along with life, come challenges. Along with each challenge, come struggles. And if you’re really lucky, then along with every struggle, comes increased awareness and growth!

You have choices to make when life presents you with challenges. You can run and hide like many people do and suppress your feelings and emotions with noise (as in computers, tv, texting), with food (as in cake, cookies, candy), with addictions (as in smoking, drugs, gambling). Or, you can turn into the struggle, not being distracted by the noise, by observing your emotions and investigating the possible outcomes of struggle.

Now I need you to realize that it’s not your fault if you turn toward noise to suppress your emotions because you do this unconsciously, without awareness. If you were aware of what truly was happening, then you would not suppress any emotions.

This is why being presented with challenges is such an opportunity for growth. Each challenge helps you to grow and become more aware of Life. As you gain more awareness, you gain more freedom.

Let’s take a look at an example from my life and the opportunity it gave me for growth.

My dad died when I was 20. A few years later I had my first panic attack. Why? Because I did not deal with his death and suppressed my emotions deep within. My life became one huge struggle! I struggled to push my anxious feelings away in every facet of my existence.

I struggled:
- any time I had to leave my house (it was my safe hiding place at the time)
- being with my friends and family, always hiding my anxiety away from them
- at work
- driving on highways
- going to doctors
- falling asleep
- any time I was alone, afraid I would have another panic attack
- every moment, just waiting for another panic attack to surface and take me over

Now this cycle continued for quite some time. I was lucky in that I had (and still have ) a very supportive husband and he was there for me in every way possible. He gave me hope that I could get through this dark time of my life. I wanted to get better. And I believe that is why I turned away from ‘the noise’ and started on a path to wellness and growth. The first step I took was to learn about anxiety so I researched it and read a book on it and also completed an anxiety workbook. I was gaining knowledge about what causes anxiety and discovering ways to empower myself and improve my life. This was the start of my growth.

Now let’s look at another possible outcome which is increased awareness. With increased awareness, comes freedom. This freedom that you feel surfaces from not allowing outer circumstances to make you suffer. Let’s see how my life example from above allowed me to increase my awareness.

Fast forward a couple years after first learning about anxiety and ways I could empower myself to get better. I was practicing yoga and meditation and taking a home-study Aromatherapy training course. Through yoga and meditation, I was becoming more aware of my ‘inner world’. When you start to journey inward, your awareness of Life increases greatly. You also begin to realize what it is that truly matters and interests you and things and people start to show up to help you along the way. I know this is true because it happens continually for me.

So back to my example, I first started to grow by empowering myself with knowledge and that lead me to do things, such as yoga and meditation, which in turn increased my awareness. Through this increased awareness, what also came to surface is some beliefs that I had from my past. These beliefs were limiting me and I also realized that they were quite negative. One example is I believed I was a horrible person if I could not make it into work. I had to go no matter what. If I wasn’t feeling good, tough, I had people counting on me and I better get there. There’s a winter storm on the way that’s about to dump 12-15″ of snow, heck, that’s not going to stop me – I gotta get to work!!!

Basically I was putting myself last in these situations. Everyone else mattered, not me. As my awareness increased, I realized that this is just some belief that I took on from childhood – from family and/or teachers and/or friends. I realized I did not have to believe this anymore, and thank goodness! Who knows what state my physical and/or mental health would be in now! This is just one example of a belief. Many more have surfaced along this journey and I’m sure more and more will surface in the future. This is a good thing and is one huge reason why I say Awareness = Freedom!

“All beliefs suffocate and all beliefs help you not to be really alive. They deaden your being.” ~ OSHO

So again, I repeat, Struggling is Good!

One day you will even invite those life challenges and struggles in because you will know, due to your increased awareness, that is an opportunity for more growth and hence, more freedom! I would never take back any struggles that have happened to me. I see them now as gifts – gifts that have allowed me to awaken to life and step into my purpose and passions.

Where in your life has a struggle manifested or transformed your life? Or not?

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