Life has presented us with favourable and unfavourable challenges, and we choose how to view them. Some see them as a chance to grow, and others see those challenges as problems.
In my life, there have been so many ‘problems’ as I used to call them, but now I don’t because I know better. Every slight inconvenience was a problem for me. Every little obstacle that I faced was a problem. Whenever my basic needs were met, and I still had a secondary want, that automatically became a problem. This was because in my view, a problem was any slight inconvenience in life, and at that point, I hadn’t gotten what I wanted.
You never get everything you want in life, and sometimes we can be too preoccupied with problems that we miss out on what blessings feel like. A clear example of what I looked at as a problem was; immediately after I graduated from University, I got a job with some company. At that time things were a bit tough for my family. My dad didn’t have a job; none of my siblings did, so I was automatically the one to look after them because I had an income.
Fresh out of campus, I had all these plans of building my life, doing stuff for myself; you know, buying things for myself. Unfortunately, I was not in a position to do so because I had people to look after. I did not care what this looked like to me – whether it was family or not- it was an inconvenience. An inconvenience because it didn’t favour my plans at the time. Long story short, this ended up being my hugest blessing – being in a position to come through for my family.
At no point did I look at the problem as a challenge that could be overcome. I always looked at it as my most significant disadvantage. Be careful what you wish for because, with this perception, you will always have problems. Once you resolve one thing, one other thing will demand your attention.
Due to my view of life, I realized I constantly had problems to solve. Therefore, I had to resolve to look at my problems from a positive angle.
Should we refrain from calling challenges problems? Yes, I believe we should. From a negative outlook, problems become permanent. Challenges are always temporary because they can be overcome. We can quickly turn challenges into problems with despair, lost hope, and frustration.
At no point will you avoid challenges because they are a part of life. Some are there to test our courage and willingness to change, while others present themselves as a ladder to more extraordinary things.
Have you ever wondered why people thrive in the face of challenges? Why do some thrive in hardships and adversity? And others come out stronger and better in such situations? It is because while at it, they have the opportunity to jog up their minds to come up with the best solutions. It is then that they come out of their comfort zones and get out of those inconveniencing situations.
I mean, no one wants to be uncomfortable. We all seem okay when situations favour us, but it takes courage to keep going when things are not in our favour.
When I think of this statement, I am reminded of the words of Martin Luther King, Jr, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”
As co-creators of our reality, we can overcome these challenges because God said so. With this sense of awareness, we can begin our journey into a higher state of consciousness where challenges are no longer challenges but opportunities to get a glimpse of our highest self.
