Take control of your struggles and look beyond the adversity

I have spent a lot of time listening to the Rise podcast lately (if you haven't listened, I highly recommend it), and one of the most recent episodes really touched on something that I think all of us could learn.

© Hollis Company

In the episode, Rachel (Hollis, author of Girl, Stop Apologizing and Girl, Wash Your Face) and her guest, endurance athlete Colin O'Brady, talk about the struggles we will all face. In fact, more specifically, she details the fact that hard times and difficulties are a given; nobody lives a life without some rough times. However, rather than crumble in the face of our adversities, we should seize control and own what life throws at us.

Is there any better advise than that?

Look, she is absolutely right: there is no life without struggle. Not every one will experience the same struggles at the same level, but at some point in your life, you will be faced with hardships. This may present itself in the form of something like a mistake a work, missing an important event, or even something as severe as a serious illness. However, regardless of the situation, we have control of how we react.

O'Brady, in his early adult years, was dealt a severe blow due to a life-threatening injury that could have left him paralyzed. As a professional athlete, this was the end of his life as he knew it. However, rather than fade away, he turned his life in to an inspiration for all by conquering the world's greatest challenges including becoming the first person to ever traverse Antarctica on foot. He exclaims as some point in the journey, he reached a point of complete despair, but he found this place of peace on the other side when he pushed through. Rather than fade away, he discovered on the other side of his struggle was a state of bliss he did not know existed.

We never know how close we are to end of our struggles. In the middle of them, we feel like we have no way out or no end in site. When we reach this point, we have a choice: fight or flight. Unfortunately, it is at this point that most people quit. "It's too hard". "I can't do it". The excuses are endless. But, it is just beyond this point that all we have worked for becomes a reality. It may not be today, or even tomorrow, but the struggle is temporary.

I won't pretend to know the adversities that some people face. I cannot imagine the difficulties of disease or the struggles of systematic oppression; I cannot even say how I would handle it. However, what I can speak for, and what Colin and Rachel do an amazing job explaining, is the power of the mind. We cannot control every thing that happens to us, and struggle is as much a part of life as death and tax. But, with taking control of our struggles and keeping our eyes on the sunshine on the other side, we can own our experience. That ownership gives you back the power and gives you back everything you feel like you are losing in the battle.

To listen to the the podcast, visit the link here, or look for Episode 129 of the Rise Podcast on your favorite podcast player.