Overcoming Challenges...Seeing Obstacles as Opportunities

There are so many people who constantly wish that life was easier, with less challenges and obstacles, but without them life becomes stagnant and we stop growing.  Challenges, obstacles/problems, help us to uncover who we are, what we are made of and allow us to become better people. Obstacles are simply nothing more than opportunities for us to evolve and grow into better versions of ourselves.  


When we are faced with challenges we tend to avoid the issue and run the other way hoping that it goes away or we choose the easy way out even though we know that isn’t the way we truly want to go.  It takes more energy and wastes more time when we try to avoid it, as well as more headaches, or often the case, more heartache and we do not get the end result that we were looking for.


Take time to understand the challenge.  Make the distinction between a fact and a problem.  The difference is quite simple...A fact is something that is unchangeable.  The weather is a fact, your age is a fact...certain things just are! They cannot be altered.  A problem/challenge is something you can do something about.  An obstacle in your path is an unsolved problem. A goal you have not yet achieved is a problem that has not been solved (yet).  Problems are simply challenges or obstacles that you inevitably deal with as you go through life. Ask yourself what is possibly being asked of me and what is the main goal?  Try to figure out or identify what resources you have at your disposal to work through this challenge...books, money, Google, etc. Are there other people that could possibly help you? What skills do you have and what are your strengths to work through this?


The truth is that most facts that make you unhappy or frustrated exist in the past.  It is unchangeable because it is something that happened in the past, which is a fact.  It does no good to be upset about a fact.  A problem or challenge exists in the future.  A problem, the future, is under your control and the outcome is determined by what you do in the present.


Come up with a strategy to overcome this challenge you are facing and create a plan of action that you can apply and execute, knowing that it can be adjusted as you work through it.  Do your best to overcome your challenge by executing the strategy with tenacity and determination ...remember, the outcome will be determined by what you do in the present, and if you still can’t overcome a challenge, then it’s time to re-evaluate “why”.  


Did it not work because it wasn’t effective or viable? Did you not execute it well enough? Whatever the reason you come up with, be persistent and tweak your efforts trying to come up with the best solution.  What action can be taken now? Instead of worrying or stressing out, get to work taking whatever actions you can to resolve the situation and move forward - take the first step now!