Challenges and Difficulties Make You Stronger and Wiser
Challenges and Difficulties Are Inevitable Parts of Our Life
Almost all people face a variety of challenges and difficulties in their life. A large majority of them get deeply disturbed by the difficulties that they face and become highly anxious and stressed, in many cases people even commit suicide. Such people suffer not because of the actual circumstances or difficulties that they face rather they suffer because of their perception of, and thinking about, those circumstances. They get worried simply by seeing or imagining difficult circumstances. They keep thinking about the bad time and bad things. Most of their suffering is caused by their thinking not by the actual event. Remember, it is our mind that makes us suffer.
People don’t try to understand that these are not the actual circumstances or events of life that make them anxious and stressed rather it is their perception of, and thinking about, those circumstances that make them suffer. They don’t try to understand that challenges and difficulties may also carry opportunities for learning, growth and development. They don’t try to understand that life’s difficult circumstances can help them in becoming stronger and wiser. No person has ever become strong just by being in his or her comfort zone. To become strong and emerge as a winner you have to face, and overcome, difficulties.
How could you become strong and wise if you have not faced any difficulty or challenges? If you will not face any challenge and difficulty, how would your mind and character become strong. Remember, challenges and difficulties are there to make you strong and wise. If there are difficulties in your life, it means God has also given you the power to overcome those difficulties. Major issue with most of the people is that they just look at the difficulties. They don’t try to look at the capabilities that they are having to deal with those difficulties.
Instead of looking at difficulties positively, majority of people see them very negatively. They think too much about the challenges and difficulties of their life, and in that process, they keep suffering.
We Suffer Largely Because of Our Thinking
People don’t suffer because of the actual situations or circumstances of their life rather they suffer because of their thinking and perception of those circumstances. Actually, it is our thinking of the incidents of our life (or our thinking about what may happen in future) that causes all fear and anxiety. These are not the actual events that make us suffer rather it is our thinking about those events that make us suffer. Major cause of all of our suffering is not the actual events that are taking place in our life rather it is what we think about what all is happening or has happened or may happen in our life.
The root cause of all of our suffering is the way we think. Even an extremely difficult situation and tough time may not make you worry if you are not thinking too much about that. You can face any difficult situation, and can overcome any problem, if you are not letting that difficulty or challenge dominate your thinking. If you engage into too much analysis and think too much then you will suffer.
To the same situation or phenomenon different people may perceive and respond totally differently. One may see it negatively and can suffer because of that. That person will think only about the negative outcomes of that event. The person who sees the situation negatively, will become a lot more negative and further will get more worried. That will lead to more negativity and that person will more likely experience negative outcomes.
On the other hand, another person can see the same situation more positively and can feel good about that. People who see the situation positively will further develop a positive attitude. They will think and behave more positively. They have a lot more positivity. When there is more positivity, more good things will happen. Hence, it becomes important to look at life’s challenges and difficulties positively.
Reappraise Situation: Perceive and Think Differently
To be more effective in dealing with difficulties of life, you need to learn to look at yourself and life’s circumstances differently. You need to use, as psychologists suggest, cognitive reappraisal. It means you need to learn to look at situations from a slightly different perspective. Try to see things more positively. For instance, you are desperately looking for a job but are not able to get it in the time frame that you are expecting. Then you should not get too much worried about that. Rather you should try to think about that situation from the perspective that God has planned something else for you and you will get the job when appropriate time will come.
Though it may not be so easy to think about this kind of situation from a different perspective but it is the only way to keep yourself positive and motivated. If you feel distressed because of not being able to get the job then your cognitive capability and performance will suffer negatively.
Remember, if one door gets closed or one opportunity is lost then God opens another door for you. You just need to work to find that door. Try to develop a positive attitude towards yourself and the difficulties that you face in life. Keep in mind that challenges and difficulties carry opportunities for you to make you stronger and wiser.
