Today’s Quotes Are About Facing Challenges:
1. “Life is a storm that will test you unceasingly. Don’t wait for calm waters that may not arrive. Derive purpose from resilience. Learn to sail the raging sea” – Unknown
We tend to look for the right moment to start making changes in our lives. We expect the future to be different, so we keep postponing new things, but life is always filled with chaos though. New and unpredictable circumstances continue to arise, which we use to justify the perpetual procrastination.
Circumstances may never calm down, so you need to learn to navigate the difficult times and still make the changes you’re seeking. You’ll watch your life pass you by if you keep waiting for the “right time”.
Ironically, sometimes the key to sorting out your life is actually by adding more responsibilities. You may be overwhelmed already, but by adding new responsibilities, you really test your limits and force yourself to step up to the plate.
It’s hard to be perfect about implementing new changes in the beginning, but so long as you’re making small steps in the right direction, that’s still progress.
By putting more effort into the actions that matter, you finally put yourself out there for things to change. If you don’t change anything, nothing will change.
Learn to be a competent and capable person that can problem-solve and be self-sufficient.
2. “If you have to fight a dragon, you should go to its lair before it comes to your village” – Jordan Peterson
In short, if you know the issue is unavoidable, why delay the confrontation? It’s easier to attack the issue at the source than it is to do damage control after it’s festered and already gotten out of hand.
If there’s a problem in your life that you need to fix, you should remedy it as soon as you’re aware of it. It’s best to do it before it causes even further problems. You’ll find yourself in a way worse position if you cower and hope for it to go away.
Some things resolve themselves, but don’t count on luck for solving your problems. Face your challenges head on and you’ll stand the best chance of overcoming them.
3. “That which we need the most will be found where we least want to look” – Carl Jung
Personal growth lies on the outside of your comfort zone. The solutions to your problems are often just outside the reach of what you’re comfortable with.
A lot of people choose to complain about their lives, instead of making the choices it would take to solve their issues. This is because complaining is easy and change is uncomfortable.
People complain about never feeling well, but choose not to eat healthy. Or others complain about not being happy with their bodies, yet don’t commit to working out. Growth often requires sacrifice, and that’s not always something people are willing to do.
4. “The Spartans do not ask how many are the enemy, but where are they” – Plutarch
This is the epitome of facing your challenges head on. This mentality shows that it doesn’t matter how big the obstacle or challenge is, you’re set on going after it. No fear and no hesitation.
You know it’s your duty to overcome your personal struggles, so why try to avoid them? You have to have faith in your abilities to know that you’re capable of besting anything that lies in front of you. This confidence will have you SEEKING out problems to face, because you know you’ll be able to overcome them.
5. “Get busy with life’s purpose, toss aside empty hopes, get active in your own rescue” – Marcus Aurelius
Your purpose in life is yours to decide, and no one gets to take that away from you. My personal belief is that your purpose should have the intention of leaving a positive impact on those around you; in other words, try not to make your purpose focused around selfish motives.
Your obligation is to work on your purpose then, but this means it has to be defined first. Don’t overthink picking it because it can always change in the future, but decide on something. You simply have to know where to start from.
“Toss(ing) aside empty hopes” means to be grounded in reality. You can have lofty goals, but make them attainable; if you wish to be a New York Times Best Seller, you can’t expect to write and publish an entire book by tomorrow, but you can absolutely start by writing a page today.
Get real with yourself about where you’re at in life. Only then can you really define a direction and create a plan on how to reach your goals. Don’t expect others to figure out your life for you, you have to do it yourself.