When you think of the word challenges what is the first thing that comes to mind?
Difficult?
Scary?
Hard?
Unsurmountable?
Unfair?
Merriam-Webster provides a few definitions. The first they provide is “to dispute especially as being unjust, invalid, or outmoded”. That’s a tough one to approach. I don’t know about you, but the words unjust and invalid bring a very uneasy feeling for me. To look at a challenge in this way could be very intimidating.
Let’s look at the 2nd definition they provide. To confront or defy boldly. Now, that is a definition I can get on board with. When you look at a challenge and you stare it directly in the face you get to confront that challenge. You get to choose to turn that challenge into an opportunity. It doesn’t have to be a dispute. It doesn’t have to be unjust or invalid. It can be a thing that you approach boldly with the intention to use it to your advantage. It’s your challenge after-all. Why shouldn’t you get to take something useful from it? When looked at through that lens, what comes to mind for you? Approachable? Scalable? Capable? Just maybe…exciting?
What things in your life have you been avoiding because they present a challenge? There’s no shame here. We all encounter this. When you take this new perspective, though, what doors open that had previously been closed? What possibilities do you get to explore or dream about that you hadn’t let yourself indulge in before?
I’d like to issue you a challenge here and now. Take one challenging situation you have been facing and look at it as an opportunity. Write it down and dare to dream about it. Write out all of the things that could come out of this challenge if you were to look at it with the question, “what can I gain from this?”. Don’t hold back. All thoughts are valuable here. What do YOU get to walk away with?
P.S. Have you signed up for my 21-day challenge yet? Start your free 21-day whole-self-care challenge