Often, the most difficult experiences in our lives offer the greatest reward.
And when I say “often”, I mean “always”.
(And I know from personal experience. Like, when I worked a fulltime job, went to grad school at night and all day on Sunday’s while also launching my blog and private coaching business? (There were MANY exhausted–why-did-I-do-this-to-myself? tears.) Did I also mentioned I tackled the world of online dating, found the man of my dreams, got married and healed a very disempowering relationship with my body and food all at the same time?
None of it easy–all of it WORTH it.)
That’s not easy to grasp, I know. Most of us—nearly, all of us—struggle to recognize the hard stuff, the painful stuff, the challenging stuff as being actually good…especially while we’re in it.
But it’s always a test—of our character, of our purpose, of our growth.
It’s a spiritual awakening.
If we allow it, the hard stuff will PROPEL us and grow us, and allow us to blossom into the person we’re meant to be with incredible possibilities we’d never considered.
But that’s the truth of it, love.
One could even say that you cannot get to your next level without hard times.
The easy stuff….it just doesn’t ask you to dig in.
To strip down & be raw.
To explore old wounds, take accountability and s-t-r-e-t-c-h, already.
The hard stuff only gets harder when we wallow in its innate “hardness”. But when we’re able to see things differently—when we’re able to bravely shift our focus, change our perception, get curious and take accountability for patterns that clearly DON’T WORK …that’s when we’re able to see the absolute blessing in the hard stuff.
We’re able to see that, while it may be hard and painful and challenging; while it may be testing us in ways we’d never consciously choose to be tested—it is making us all the better for it, too.
We stop standing still.
Who we truly are and what we’re here to do is revealed.
And when we can see that, when we can remember and focus on the beauty and bravery within that instead…well, it doesn’t feel so hard, after all.
xo,
D
Dr. Dowling has spent years helping people live richer, more joyful lives. She has seen firsthand the magical pairing of psychology and life coaching, which allows people to access their happiest selves.
View Dr. Dowling's articles on Mindbodygreen
- Maybe I’d be Happier with Someone Else? - Apr 25, 2023
- Mastering An Attitude Of Gratitude & How to Maintain Feeling Grateful - Mar 28, 2023
- How Do I Find Joy in Life? - Feb 24, 2023