What would our lives be like if we had no challenges, if everything came easily or automatically, if we were not meant to struggle or strain or risk or experience the pain of failure. What would life be like if we didn't need to exert or query or question ourselves, assess our fortitude or drive through the rain, the pain with the persistency to gain an objective, reach a goal and achieve a sense of accomplishment. Life is about overcoming odds, meeting the obstacles that roll into our path each day, facing challenge after challenge. Some experience more and greater challenges than others. Some face challenges with fear and trepidation. Some face challenges with a fierce warrior like determination. Most of us look for the easiest path up the mountain we can find or some tool to leverage in moving the seemingly unmovable boulder in our path. In facing our greatest challenges we forever find ourselves alone, even when surrounded by family and friends and well wishers. And of course our greatest challenge is often our self. We fight ourselves at every turn. We never seem to learn to make it easy on ourselves. We second guess and often choose the wrong path before finally realizing the way we should have gone in the first place. But challenges teach us, they help form our character, they make life worthwhile and remind us that we are on a journey. The best part of us rises to meet challenges. Even when we fail to overcome an obstacle we win in the effort. Embrace challenges for in the effort the best of our self is realized.
