Life can throw up all kinds of challenges. It feels like we’ve all got through a pandemic, only to find a huge financial/cost of living challenge, alongside instability in politics and biblical rain reminding us of the climate crisis. Charities are really feeling it, with a number of people we support sharing that things feel harder now than they did in 2020.
I’ve really felt the impact of all of the above, alongside some personal ups and downs as well. In a moment of struggle a couple of weeks ago, I dug out a few old books that have helped me in the past. Now Tony Robbins is a bit of a marmite character, and I feel a bit put off by some of the references he makes, but one reflection he shares in his book Release the Giant Within is that things are not happening to us, they’re happening for us.
That perspective shift helped me immeasurably. When I sit in the perspective that things happen to me it keeps me feeling disempowered and like a victim, but when I shift to the idea that things are happening for me, I can ask myself ‘what is this for’, ‘what do I need to do in order to learn and grow and emerge from this as a more powerful version of myself?’ Adversity is there to encourage me to grow. Adversity is there as a reminder to invite me to love myself more. Adversity is there as a nudge to go inward and develop even more self-compassion. When I pay attention to that, I actually emerge feeling better equipped to navigate the challenges of life, to think of creative and innovative ideas to solve problems and move forward.
It can feel really difficult, when we’re down there in the mud, struggling through challenging times, to remember that the situation is an opportunity to become a fuller version of ourselves. But it’s like the chick hatching it’s way out into the world, sometimes we have to work our way through the tough barriers in order to emerge into the light.
With love as always, Hannah and Team Bird
If you’d like to explore in more detail how coming back to self-love, hope and joy can help you to stay committed to the work you’re here to do check out the recent Joy Summit based on the work of Arch Bishop Desmond Tutu, and The Dalai Lama.