Facing Life’s Challenges With Resilience

The future rewards those who press on. I don’t have time to feel sorry for myself. I don’t have time to complain. I am going to press on. - Barack Obama

Challenges in life are unavoidable. Like an accident, they come without warning.

Challenges can make us feel sad, uncomfortable, angry, anxious, jittery and frustrated. We may feel life is unfair to us.

But that is the way of life. You are always tested by the curve balls life throws at you.

Your life’s journey will not always be smooth. You will face unwelcome challenges, obstacles, roadblocks and setbacks.

When we face challenges in life, it speaks to our limitations. And that is what makes us human.

Challenges are not sign posts for you to stop what you are doing. It’s a signal to navigate past the obstacles.

Indeed, all successful people have had to overcome setbacks before they landed in their success zone. When they encounter obstacles and problems, they find the motivation to press on and achieve success.

Some people want an easy life. They want a life without having to experience difficulties, or anything painful.

When they face any adverse situation in their life, they blame it on innocent people. They go into their closets and weep.

At times, some people give up trying when they don’t know what to do. It’s this kind of attitude that produces failure.

Why do people shrink in the face of challenges? The reasons are not far-fetched.

They do not have the faith to move mountains. They do not have ‘I can do it attitude’.

Once you have that empowering belief that things are possible for you, you’ll find creative ways to solve your problems. Any challenge can be dealt with effectively if you have strong enough reasons why a goal must be achieved.

Some people are unable to solve problems because of their negative attitude with which they view their challenges. They simply lack the confidence needed to deal with unforeseen events and difficulties.

Fear is another reason people do not overcome their challenges. Fear of the unknown, fear of making mistakes and fear of failure.

It is a defeatish attitude to look at your problems that way. Instead, face every challenge with the spirit of boldness.

Eleanor Roosvelt wisely said, “You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” This quote speaks to the fact that we need to face our challenges with confidence and courage regardless of our fears.

When you see the problem as threatening or that it’s a sign of your own weakness, then you will not be able to solve it.

When a challenge comes, some people will not give it their immediate attention until it grows big to overwhelm them. A ravaging fire often starts as a spark.

Always look at the big picture and solve what appears as a small problem before it festers into a bigger problem. Care enough to solve smaller problems before they grow into bigger ones that require the deployment of more resources.

As said earlier, challenges and obstacles test our resilience capabilities. When you’re resilient, you have that ability to bounce back after setbacks.

Know that for every challenge and difficulty, there is an opportunity to learn, grow and be better prepared to face future hardship and problems. They happen to make you better not bitter.

Challenges help us to discover who we truly are. They help ignite the fires of resilience that is buried deep within us.

When life throws challenges in your way, it’s a reminder that no worthwhile goals can be achieved without your effort. With dedication, commitment, ambition, and determination, you will rise above the challenges you thought were insurmountable.

We know from experience that if you do not give wings to your dream, it will remain a dream. Action is key to every success, every achievement.

Don’t wait for conditions to be perfect before you start. You must keep moving forward even in the face of challenges.

Asking is a secret weapon of achievers. Most people do not ask when they should.

You must realize you have limitations as a human being. You do not have all the answers to life’s challenges.

Asking for help is not a weakness. It points to the fact that you do not have the talent and skills to meet every challenge.

Ask those who have the expertise to support you with their wisdom to solve some of your problems. Once the effort you are making is noticed by some people, they will give you little tips of wisdom towards the resolution of your problems. And that is by requesting their assistance.

Willpower is critical as a tool for overcoming challenges. Arnold Schwarzenegger famously said: “Strength does not come from the body. It comes from the will.”

When strength from the body is insufficient, our willpower can serve as the fuel for our success journey. Here we are emphasizing that instead of relying on physical prowess, we harness willpower to subdue our challenges whilst moving towards the accomplishment of goals.

It is a fact that some of the things that happen to us are out of our control. However the way we respond to external events that affect us in profound ways is entirely left to us. You can choose to respond to events with negativity or positivity.

Charles Swindoll put it succinctly when he said, “Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react to it.” Yes, we may not be able to control the things that happen to us, but how we react to such situations is within our control.

When the challenges look daunting, we can still be positive, and look for creative ways to deal with them. We can focus on having a resilient attitude, a positive mental attitude, ambition and determination to rise above our challenges to victory.

There is glory in achievement after overcoming seemingly insurmountable challenges. Seeing the possibilities and the opportunities in our challenges can be a catalyst propelling us to our end goals.

To conclude my final thoughts, challenges are an inevitable part of life. There are no exceptions.

However, we should not shrink away in the face of our challenges. They offer great opportunity for learning, growth and resilience which can propel us towards the achievement of our goals.

It’s said that every problem carries within it the seeds of its own solution. So whenever you encounter a challenge, obstacle or problem, see it as an opportunity for positive change.

Challenges come to make you better not bitter. It helps you not only to learn and grow, it also offers you the opportunity to sharpen your talent and skills and draw from your reserves of resilience to launch yourself into your success zone.

You need to move out of your cocoon zone of comfort and with boldness press on until your goal is achieved. Success has never been achieved without taking risks and overcoming challenges.

Lori Deschene, a motivational expert, made the following profound statement that says it all, “Have a little faith in your ability to handle whatever’s coming down the road. Believe that you have the strength and resourcefulness required to tackle whatever challenges come your way. And know that you always have the capacity to make the best of anything. Even if you didn’t want or ask for it, even if seems scary or hard or unfair, you can make something good of any loss or hardship. You can learn from it, grow from it, help others through it, and maybe even thrive because of it. The future is unknown, but you can know this for sure: Whatever’s coming, you got this.”

Yours in inspiration,
ARK AWOLUGUTU, Writer & Author