The Journey to SELF

I always believe that we must feel deeply blessed to be given challenges that are unexpected and beyond our control. Admittedly, these challenges come into our lives in different and difficult ways that evoke the usual query of, why me? People of the faith though look at these challenges as blessings in disguise for definitely, these difficulties make us stronger and better human beings.

Conventional understanding reflects that challenges and blessings are different if not exact opposites. Noteworthy though is that challenges are the gifts that make us aware of who we are in the best and worst of times, make us realize where we are, and guide us to where we are capable of going.

Who we are

Age, academic or professional competence, social status, and other possessions may not assure us of knowing who we truly are. The toughest and sharpest swords were loose and soft metals, scrap even, that were forged in fire. The blessing of challenges is that we get to realize that we are the toughest and sharpest of swords. The realization that these challenges afforded us is the gift that make us know who we truly are.      

Where we are

We usually see other things, other people, and sadly, even the aspirations of others. We tend to overlook the gifts that we have and fail to focus on the ‘minor things’ that we did. Challenges often serve as alarm bells to wake us up to a new day, make us see the few good deeds that we did. Make us conscious that few friends believe in us, few people are grateful for what we did for them, and few possessions are worthy of keeping. These different few make us aware that we are far from where we started where we do not have even a few.

The blessing of challenges is that we are made cognizant to the fact that we are tough, we are sharp, and we have been through to acquire the few that we have.

Where are we going

A bicycle rider maintains her balance because she keeps moving forward, sometimes slow on the uphill, painful and even hurting on bumps, nice and breezy on the downhill but there are only three choices if she intends to keep her balance. She must either pedal straight ahead, turn left, or right but still move forward. If she stops, she falls and if she does small tight circle she trips.

Reading success stories or listening to motivational speakers will definitely inspire us and trigger innate brilliant ideas to guide us where we wish to be or where we could be. However, there will be gaps between the read or listened to in relation to our own respective unique narratives. I believe that these gaps can only be filled by the fortitude and wisdom that we earned in going through our respective challenges. After all, we were ‘forged in fire’ by the blessings disguised as challenges.

Long time ago, as a child, I read somewhere the phrase that said, ‘the only difference between a stepping stone and a stumbling block is the way we use it.’

Enjoy life, be happy, welcome challenges, and be assured by Padre Pio’s dictum of ‘Pray, hope, and don’t worry.’ Life is beautiful.