Embracing Challenges

Most people don't like setbacks or obstacles, as they usually delay the timing of us reaching our goals. We put in our time and energy toward our dream college, career promotion, finding the right partner in life, mental & physical health, etc., but the reality is that we are bound to face challenges. This is the time when we have to ask ourselves whether we want to move forward or to quit. "I've had enough", "I can't believe this is happening to me, again", "I have other things I need to take care of", "I must make it happen", "how do I work around this problem?" - these are some of the questions and things that cross our minds at this crossroad.

Whatever our reasons (or excuses) are, the first thing we must realize is that setbacks and obstacles WILL happen. But understanding this is just the beginning, because the second step will now determine whether we succeed or not in the long run. Yes, long run, because there's still a chance that however hard we try right now, we still will not reach our current goal. We might not have all the resources, the knowledge, or the environment right now, and maybe even the current goal is just not the right direction. The second step, is to embrace challenges.  

Bruce Lee once said "Do not pray for an easy life; pray for the strength to endure a difficult one." When everyone gets a trophy for participating in a game, the satisfaction is never there, and we don't end up building the character and the grit we need to succeed in the long run. But Bruce Lee wasn't talking about just not praying for an easy life (or ... trophy), but praying for a difficult one. This requires guts, will, and it also means a lot of pains. I am sure he set many goals, and some of them were reached while others weren't, but the character he was able to build along the way made him much stronger. The greatest basketball player Michael Jordan also said "I've failed over and over and over, and that's why I succeed." 

Embracing challenges is not natural, and it doesn't come to us magically. It takes time to build the habit, starting from occasional small challenges to bigger ones, until we develop it and make it a habit. We shared a bit on our journey building the company recently, and we know we are far from our goal. Every time we hit some setback, we decide to persist and overcome them; we have a goal that is bigger than ourselves, and we must keep going. It gets scary sometimes, but we are learning more and more about embracing all these challenges. What are your challenges? Are you ready to embrace them and get to the next level? Tears and pains are inevitable, but true satisfaction and success are also waiting for you.