Accepting Challenges and Challenging our Own

Someone once said that continuous effort, not intelligence or even strength, is the key to releasing our potentials. Well, perseverance indeed may well be our greatest asset - to keep going. We've always been told that quitters never win.

Each of us has something uniquely special to offer. At the same time, we also have the potential to offer it successfully, but often we don't always realize this. Consciously or not, we stifle our self-development or growth with fears, from low self-esteem, and  inadequacies sometimes assumed.

This doesn't mean that we refuse to accept our weaknesses, but at least we can try to do best of what we can offer to live.  As long as we persevere, our confidence and abilities will grow in concert with our progress, until we find that completion we work towards.

Thoughts before the dawn breaks...

Life Choices

Life is full of challenges. When we are faced with them, we have two choices: to meet them fearfully or to face them and do something about it.


To choose fear we simply avoid taking risk, but it is a way of already giving up, preventing ourselves from ever winning. If we choose to welcome challenges, we acknowledge that life is made up of win or lose, of joys and pains. We open up to the possibility of a winning, a victory.

Sometimes we feel in the cycle of circumstances beyond our control, underlying constraints that need to be considered. Making a choice resurfaces again. When this happens we can remind ourselves that we have the power to choose what our attitude will be towards the situation.

Life Challenges, and More 

It's never easy this matter of choices.  Always a challenge.

But it's a move forward to acknowledge and accept that life will always be made up of choices.  We build and decide on them.

We are all capable of far more than we think we are. It's in the toughest of times that we find out and realize how much strength we have.

How can we challenge our own challenges?

I'm at it now. I've been for a while, but this month has been toughest yet. Continuously seeking strength from God, then I'm stilled. What to do? Face the problems squarely (I know; easy to say but most difficult to handle.)   Touch base with caring kins and/or true friends, handful they maybe. They will offer support their own way. Be sincerely grateful for their offerings, expecting for nothing more.  Try to practice the old reliable time management, with realistic to-dos to avoid unnecessary stress... Prioritise.  If everything else fails - simply - take it easy. Relax. Have a drink of cold water or clear juice.  Then indulge in something you love to do and enjoy. Read a good book. Indulge in Sudoku. Watch stress-free DVDs, or play a musical instrument but only for your pleasure.  Or, simply remember your favourite things.

Are you experiencing your challenging times? I mean, really tough, dark days? Continue seeking strength and support from God or whatever you call your  Higher Power, even if what you need seems impossible. That's what faith means. You can revise my suggestions to your own needs.

Challenges Test our Strengths

It's during the tough times that we discover the depths of our strength. It's then that we know some power has enabled us to do what we thought we could not. Some call this a Higher Power. I call mine God. It is available when we need it; we only need to pray for guidance.

One hindrance I can think of is fear. That's why we need to have faith and trust in that power.

One of my favourite poets is Emily Dickinson. She beautifully and succintly put my thoughts to her words. 
Reflection:

"We never know how high we are
'Til we are called to rise;
And then, if we are true to plan,
Our statures touch the skies."

~ Emily Dickinson, American Poet

Every which way we turn we will have challenges. But we can grow on from these challenges by trusting that power whatever we conceive God to be.