Struggle. A word that conjures up images of fighting for something and making mistakes, falling, getting back up.
Struggling means you’re pushing hard for something, deep in concentration.
And for many reasons, you try to avoid that struggle. You want things to come easy.
But in the struggle lies the grand prize — the reward, the triumph of attaining a hard-earned goal or achievement.
If your efforts are too easy, the result is ho-hum. So bland as almost to go unnoticed.
You want that feeling of triumph that comes only from sustained, valiant effort. It is your ultimate reward, your glorious victory over defeat.
The Only Way Toward Your Sweet Reward
Think about any goal or achievement you’ve worked hard to reach.
If you stuck with it, through tears, frustration, almost quitting, but getting back on your feet, reaching that finish line was oh so very sweet. Nothing else comes close.
Never be afraid to struggle, fail, and eventually overcome challenges and frustrations. It only makes you stronger.
Desirable Difficulties — Not An Oxymoron
In the video, you heard me talk about desirable difficulties. That’s not a phrase I just coined myself. It comes from Robert A. Bjork, a Distinguished Research Professor at the Univerity of California Los Angeles, who first introduced this theme in 1994.
This idea of desirable difficulties as discussed by Bjork, says that much like our muscles respond to exercise by getting stronger and more efficient, so too does our brain in response to overcoming struggle.
Without struggle in your life, forcing you to improve always by reaching higher and higher, your brain, your mind, wouldn’t grow stronger.
Desirable difficulties. Puts an entirely new slant on the idea of struggle and challenge, doesn’t it?
Instead of being seen as a negative, it means positive growth and improvement.
Outside Your Comfort Zone
You’ve heard it said that the magic happens outside your comfort zone. Recoiling from struggle out of fear, avoiding pushing yourself to improve, leaves you stagnate.
Don’t mistake struggle for failure. That struggle is your path to overcoming failure.
Failure isn’t to be feared. Failing just means you’re growing, improving.
You’re getting better.
Then, finally, you triumph over your struggles.
So go ahead. Reach beyond your comfort zone.
Don’t be afraid to fall. You’ll get back up again.
And again.
You’ll keep getting up until you stay up.
That’s not failing. That’s success.
Success made all the richer for the depth of your struggle.
What struggles in your life have you overcome to reach success? Do you fear that struggle or embrace it? How do you deal with it? Let’s continue the conversation over on my Facebook page. Head over there now and post your thoughts. Click here to share your thoughts now: Teri’s Facebook Page.
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