I was thinking about this recently on a walk and wanted to share as perhaps you can relate. We so often want life to be smooth-sailing, easy and comfortable, but really difficult times are how we grow.
If we compare our growth to a flower, I’d say challenges are like water for our growth.
One difficult time that sucked for me, but was how I grew was going through a difficult break-up. It was a 4 year relationship that ended as that person cheated and got someone else pregnant.
Obviously that was a really hard and difficult time. How deeply hurt I was, but it did turn out to be a blessing-in-disguise. Aside from that person/that relationship not being meant for me, it was after that relationship ended that I really got into running and then triathlons.
Also it allowed me a great deal of time to be single where I learned about myself and grew. Aside from my new athletic endeavors, I traveled by myself and explored other interests. Eventually I met my husband – a wonderful man who treats me how I should be treated.
At the time going through that difficult break-up, it was hard to see all of those things, but that is how I grew and what put me into learning about myself and exploring new hobbies.
In my dental career, I can think of the few challenging associate positions I’ve had, but in particular my last associateship in CO I was miserable. There were times (actually many times) I came home in tears and my mental health took a beating.
But it’s like it took me to be in such a low place to reach out for help, make changes, and get where I now am. That’s how I ended up finding my career coach, Laura, at https://www.lolabeescareercoaching.com/ which led me to my therapist as well.
These two amazing women have helped me grow in innumerable ways and now I work part-time as a dentist in a wonderful family practice that is a positive, welcoming environment!
So now, the next time I’m going through a challenge, I will keep these previous experiences in mind. I’ll also remember the analogy that challenges are water for our growth and know that I will come out the other side better and stronger.
What is a challenge or difficult time you went through that proved to be a good thing for you in the end?