Many of us experience challenges at different stages of our life. Sometimes these challenges can seem unyielding or unbearable, and we question our ability to rise to face them or our ability to continue walking forward. Challenges are how we learn and grow. They help us discover solutions and strengths we never knew we had. However, there are definitely times when I struggle to rise to the challenges with which I am faced.
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Self Care
Making self care more frequent and intentional is important to taking care of oneself. I often ask patients what their “warm-fuzzies” are or what makes them feel good. These types of activities are crucial in reducing stress and encouraging us to stay present when faced with challenges. Four activities I find nourishing for my own self care are spending time in my hammock, acupuncture, qigong, tai chi, and yoga.
Big Picture Versus Details
When we’re faced with challenges and we are always engaged with the details of them, we lose sight of the larger picture or how this challenge ultimately fits into our life. I can be prone to getting stuck in the details, so I have to take extra care to step back and look at the larger tapestry of my life.
I do this in a number of ways. I talk with my partner, go for walks in the woods, and spend time with my spiritual family. I will also write, journal, or vision board to gain insight into my journey. All of these activities help me to gain greater clarity of the larger picture — and sometimes this picture is fuzzy. Creative solutions only happen when we step away and allow ourselves to envision a new reality.
Authenticity and Truth
I am a proponent of being authentic with oneself and honoring our individual truths. When we truly know and understand ourselves, we are better able to address issues at a personal, communal, societal, national, global, and spiritual level. Challenges or difficulties can happen at all of these levels. Look at some of the recent challenges facing our nation and the world. These challenges can be enough to lose hope if we focus on them or view them on a superficial level, however, there can be great promise in looking below the surface.
The best way to approach anything that challenges us is to bring our full authentic self and our truth. Sometimes our authenticity and truth may be at odds with the status quo which adds further stress to any challenge we may face. These are moments when I find myself questioning my ability to continue walking the path forward, and these are the moments when others in my life play a critical role in keeping me balanced and encouraging me to be tenacious.
Hope and Hopelessness
It is impossible to remain 100% hopeful all of the time, we all experience doubt, we all lose hope, we all become disillusioned. This is the best time to shift our focus to the areas of our lives that are going well. When there are avenues of our lives going well, we are able to regain hope, and this hope is truly based in reality.
Life is a balancing act, and sometimes we have to step away and let challenges simmer for a bit while we determine a path forward.
Tenacity is a Superpower
I am well known for being tenacious, sometimes to a fault. I have experienced a number of challenges throughout my life, and I’m alive today because of my tenacity. Many years ago, I would shrink or shy away from challenges while continuing to walk forward in other areas. I make a conscious effort to face challenges that impact my clinic, my communities, and myself.
Stepping Up to a Challenge Can Be Scary
I am sometimes overwhelmed with fear, but I try not to allow it to cripple me. Courage is the ability to continue forward in the face of adversity. This is the meaning of tenacity for me. Facing our challenges even though they may terrify us. When we’re able to face challenges that invoke fear, it really can be a superpower because we learn something about ourselves we would have never known. We learn we can accomplish great things. Most importantly, we learn we are stronger than we previously believed.
Tenacity is a Superpower.
About the Author
As a practitioner and healer in Washington, DC for more than a decade, I take a patient-centered approach to care through acupuncture, cupping, herbal medicines, and mind-body coaching, with a specialty in full-spectrum reproductive health care.
