C is for Challenge
Now I can guarantee with 100% certainty, that this year will present challenges to myself, my family and to you. Why? Because challenges and struggles are a part of life. No one escapes them.
I've already been thrown challenges with my husband having a fall before Christmas and not being to help around the house like he was able to do. It hasn't been easy, and I could have crumbled under the added pressurese. I haven't has I have made a conscious decision to accept what is and rise up, with a positive attitude. I know I can conquer and cope with the extra work I've had to do.
Have you recently been presented with challenges, and if so, how are you coping with them?
I love my comfort zone. I love staying where I feel safe and secure. As a sufferer of anxiety, my comfort zone helps keep my anxiety at bay. But, in many ways it feeds it, as staying in my comfort zone has not pushed me out into experiencing new things, and expanding myself. It is since leaving my comfort zone, which I was forced to do by work circumstances, and facing new challenges, that I have become more confident and am finding it so much easiest to cope with change and problems.
Challenges of Life
Smooth roads never make good drivers
Smooth seas never make good sailors
Clear skies never makes good pilots.
Problem and hassle free life never makes a strong person
Be strong enough to accept the challenges of life
Don't ask life, "Why Me? Instead say "Try Me!"
This is an interesting saying, isn't it? Don't limit your challenges... challenge your limits. It sounds like a new year's resolution. I personally don't make resolutions, but I know many people do. Instead of resolutions, I make monthly goals. These are usually related to my writing. I plan out my weeks and prioritise my jobs. And as well as having my goals, I try to limit the junk food and do some exercise. Of course, there is always room for improvement.
Did you make a new year's resolution? Have you kept it or have you broken it already?
As part of my goals for the year, I will be challenging my limits. I know I am shy and find it hard to talk to people I don't know. This is something I will be working on this year. I want to run writing workshops and have already started to take steps towards doing that. I have fear of the unknown, but how does something become known unless it is attempted? When opportunities present themselves this year, I will not say to myself, 'You're not good enough'. Instead I will say, 'You can do it!'
I am aiming now to embrace change this year. Are you planning on too?
I went looking for some tips for coping with challenges, and I found the ones below. I think there is some wisdom in them.
1. Don’t overreact- Overreacting to a problem will cause you to make bad decisions. When we are not in control of our emotions, we will make decisions that we will regret later. Next time you are faced with a challenge, become the watcher of your thoughts and stay calm so you can make smarter decisions.
2. Accept present moment reality- Accept the way things are and the way people are. You have to understand that not everything is going to be the way you want it to be. If you cannot accept reality you will feel very frustrated with your life. Many people will try to change someone or something that they cannot control, and when it doesn’t work out for them they feel miserable. Once you can accept reality (including the challenges that you are faced with), you will be able to be more calm and think more clearly about how to get a step further towards your goals every day.
3. Don’t blame others- Many people make a habit of blaming others for all their problems. They fail to take full responsibility for the decisions they have made in life. The more you blame others with the challenges you are faced with, the more you will make people dislike you and not want to be around you. The first thing you want to do when faced with a personal challenge is not to start pointing fingers at others.
4. Practice detachment- Make a habit of detaching yourself from any outcome. Detachment means that you are not attached to any given result in life. I remember in the past when I did public speaking and got really nervous. The reason I was fearful of public speaking was because I was too caught up thinking about what the audience was thinking of me. The fact is that there are some people that are not going to like what you say and others who may like what you have to say, therefore your job is to accept the way people are and not get worked up emotionally and mentally over someone not liking you. When you start practicing detachment, many of your fears and insecurities will disappear.
5. Don’t overanalyze- When you think too much about a situation or event that occurred, you will start to judge everything and everyone. When you think too much you will have a very tough time accepting reality and you will think that something is not right. Overanalyzing can also cause you to not take action on your goal, which can make you really frustrated in the long run.
6. Accept “changes’ in your life- You will have to deal with changes in life all the time. Many people don’t like change and they resist it because it gets them outside of their comfort zone. You may be unhappy or happy at certain times; however you have to realize that those two states are not permanent. You have to train your mind to be at peace at all times regardless of the emotional state you experiencing.
7. Don’t compare your lifestyle with others- I know it is really difficult not to compare ourselves with other people, however the more often we do that, the more frustrated we will feel. There will be people that may have accomplished more than you. The key thing to remember is that you create your own story and success in life.
https://www.lifeoptimizer.org/2011/10/24/ways-to-deal-with-challenges/
I pray that you will face any challenges that come your way this year.
www.jennywoolsey.com
