The most important moments are often the ones you wish weren’t happening

Every great story, every great lesson, every hero’s journey comes to pass through an extraordinary challenge. This doesn’t mean we need to survive a huge trauma to grow; it does mean that our willingness to move through discomfort is essential for transformation.

The challenges of being human are abundant daily if we are truly present. The challenge to stay focused on what is most important, the challenge to remain your most loving self when being exposed to mass media and the reactivity of many people, the challenge of being courageous and speaking up or creating something new, the challenge of asking for forgiveness or granting forgiveness, the challenge of reconnecting to your vision after a minor or huge setback, or any other human experience that brings up the intensity of our more resistant emotions. However, many of us choose to stay oblivious to the challenges because of the intensity. We would rather check out than check in because it feels easier than growing.

The good news is, once we decide to make our lives about growth and service and seek places to get uncomfortable daily, we realize how good we can feel. This is because we were designed to be resilient and continue to grow no matter what happens to us. We can’t always choose what happens to us in this community of 8 billion people who were all granted free will, yet our gift is that we can choose how we move through what happens. It might even be possible that our potential for growth increases with the level of challenge we are dealt. This never feels fun, yet we can practice having faith in our design and ourselves as we aim to make our lives meaningful for ourselves and others.

Easy is wonderful. Enjoy it when it’s present. Yet, as you navigate the things you wish weren’t happening, know that the way you show up has the power to upgrade you to the next version of you.