Facing Challenges

Facing Challenges

The title of this one from the Winners Circle grabbed my attention as soon as I saw it in my inbox last week. I felt sure that Lou Tice would have something helpful to say about facing challenges in our lives. I wasn’t wrong!

Have you ever been faced with a challenge in life, one that really pushed you to your limits?

Most of us have. But let me ask you, how did you feel when you came out on the other side? I’ll bet you felt relieved, but I’ll also bet that you felt stronger, tougher and more capable, too.

In his book, “The Inner Game of Tennis,” Tim Gallway pointed out that when you want a really good game, you look for an opponent whose skill level is equal or superior to yours. Gallway said that, “It’s no fun playing with someone who doesn’t challenge you.” He’s right of course, but it’s also important to remember that challenge works the same way in every area of life.

If you want to develop yourself and expand your abilities, you must face and master challenges, move out of your comfort zone, and every now and then take on a little more than you’re absolutely certain you can handle.

Now, it’s not necessary to compete with other people in order to do this, although healthy competition can certainly help us sharpen our skills. The really important competition goes on inside us, as we challenge our beliefs about where our limitations lie and how much we can be and do.

So, the next time life pushes you to your limits, why not look at it as an opportunity to grow? With this attitude, I think you’ll find it much easier to rise to the challenge and come out on top.

Lou Tice
The Pacific Institute

Looking back on my own life, I can certainly see the truth in what Lou says in this. And that seems to be particularly true with any sporting activities — yes, although you wouldn’t think so to look at me now, I used to be quite a sportsman. Some of my best results were attained when I was challenging someone just a little better than myself. And I think that does, as Lou says, apply to all areas of life in the inner challenges within our hearts and minds.

But, what I haven’t done in the past is take things on a step. And in these Winners Circle emails, Lou Tice really does help us to do that. Look at that last paragraph, “So, the next time life pushes you to your limits, why not look at it as an opportunity to grow?” I don’t think I’ve ever thought that way about the challenges I face in my life, about the growth I could achieve by facing those challenges, and I don’t think I’ve benefited from them as much as I might have done. More food for thought and prayer methinks.

The daily Winners Circle emails are very good, do think about subscribing.