Weekly Insights: Embracing Life's Challenges...

Some people say that the only growth we experience occurs during our most challenging times. Failure is spoken about as a launching pad toward our ultimate destiny. Rejection is noted as a gift that motivates one to do better, be better, and create a better life. All of these things are true when you have a good attitude and choose to see the best in the situation at hand. No one is dealt a perfect deck. Each of us has both challenges and gifts specific to our personal missions. We cannot look across the aisle and compare our lives or our situations with others. We simple need to pay attention to our own journey, learning and growing, as we navigate our way through life. Acceptance is a key that opens many locks. We have to accept what pops up, even if it doesn't seem fair or feel right. This doesn't mean that we have to be a part of it, but we cannot control other people and the choices they make. Things can shift at a blink of an eye, and no one owes us any explanation. Like a rock floating down a stream, there will be times that we get bumped around that will determine what things will look like at the end. Parts of us are left behind and other parts continue on with us through it all. There are rough times and moments of smooth sailing, but it's all a blessing in the end, when we can learn and grow.

Being sheltered from making mistakes, falling, or failing only leads to an inability to fail. Most of today's people-pleasers had a very sheltered life growing up. There was no time to learn how to stand up for oneself, make personal decisions, or create healthy boundaries. Social skills sometimes didn't develop, it became difficult to shift directions in life, and was harder to become independent. This is the ultimate contraction. How are we supposed to live our true potential if we close off parts of our humanness? Making mistakes and failing is just as important as succeeding and rising higher. Somehow we have been convinced that mistakes equal failure, and failure means that we are done. The truth is that after we have failed and made plenty of mistakes, we are much wiser and more experienced, which makes us a lot better off in the end. No one can buy wisdom and experience, and it is the foundation of confidence, courage, and the ability to break through limitations and succeed no matter what the obstacle may be. So ultimately, our challenges are miraculous gifts of growth and expansion.

Research says that we either use 5% or 50% of our brain capacity. Living in our comfort zones of perfect health, happiness, and success keeps us functioning as usual. However, when things change up and begin to challenge us, we start using those dormant areas of the brain to create ways out of our challenges and back to "normal" again. That which pushes us to find solutions is the very gift that life offers in order to grow into something new. Better health, greater success, happier relationships, and more abundance are all reported by those who went through great challenges and found the strength to overcome and thrive. Saturn is the planet of deep contemplation and reflection. It is the time to bring deeper understanding to the big picture and what is important. There is an opportunity to look at the "bad" parts and see the hidden gifts that spirit has planted in our realities to get us to where we need to be. True freedom comes in our ability to live all aspects of our lives without fear of a challenge or of failure. Whatever happens, it is meant to help us in the long run. Embrace each day and every moment with gratitude no matter what.

The gift of life is just that... it is a true gift.