Don't let today's challenge crush you.
"Don't let your reflection on the whole sweep of life crush you. Don't fill your mind with all the bad things that might still happen. Stay focused on the present situation and ask yourself why it's so unbearable and can't be survived" Marcus Aurelius, emperor of Rome.
You have gone through some challenging periods in your life. I know you have because we all have. Maybe on different levels and on a different scale, but there was a time when you had to navigate rough waters.
The good news is that if you are reading this, you survived the challenge. Even better, if you are reading this message, it means that you have taken responsibility for your spiritual and emotional growth and self-actualization into your own hands. That is a huge step that not everyone is courageous enough to take, and you should celebrate yourself for that.
Picture yourself when you were at your lowest. Would you have imagined that you could be here, months or years later, reflecting on it? Probably not. When going through a significant amount of adversity, it is hard to accept that this, too, shall pass, and you will survive through it and thrive in the future.
It all comes and goes. Good and bad. And so, as Marcus suggests, next time you are faced with a problem, a loss, or a painful experience, take a deep breath and look at yourself in the mirror.
Ask yourself: "Why is this so unbearable? Why can't I survive this?" The answer probably is: well, actually, I have survived before, and I will survive again. I am a human being, and hurt, sadness, a feeling of loss, and emotional pain are natural human emotions. So I can suffer now; I permit myself to cry, yell, and process.
But I also know that this too shall pass and that a few years from now, I will look back with a distant perspective and remind myself: I was right; This was a difficult time, but I survived it.
Each challenge you survive makes you stronger. A sailor doesn't become a captain by leaving his boat safely at the shore.
A hero battles dragons, not lizards, or you would never hear of them again. You are getting stronger each time you survive something that might have felt unbearable.
More than gaining strength, you gain trust in yourself. Trust in your ability to handle difficult situations. Deep faith in yourself translates to self-confidence (con fidere - with intense trust). You start to respect yourself more for it, and you continue to grow.
Don't let today's challenge crush you. Remember that it is an opportunity to grow, even if it doesn't feel like it right now.
You got this.
