Working the Struggle Muscle

Being in a place of struggle can, of course, be incredibly hard going. It can feel all consuming, and when in it, things can feel very unclear and we can feel like there might not be a way through the fog. When we’re in this space a change in perspective can provide the most useful chink of light through the haze.

One such change in perspective can be remembering that the struggle, as hard as it is, does actually help us to build our ability to be with more uncertainty in future. To be with the pain of struggle now, actually makes it more likely the pain will be less when another challenge arises. When we’re through the struggle, we’ve amassed a bit more struggle muscle, we’ve put more in the memory bank, showing us how we can do hard things and emerge out the other side. 

Thinking about times when I’ve been in struggle, I have had those fleeting thoughts, those chinks of light, where I’ve known I will rise up out of the situation, knowing more and feeling more grounded and powerful about who I am and what’s important to me. And at the end of each struggle that has always been the case. When I was a teenager I had OCD and struggled a lot with anxiety. By the time I emerged out of that period I had gained a sense of self-reliance that I still have today. And when some anxiety showed up during my recent meditation retreat I was able to dig deep into that sense of strength to ride it out and the pain was short lived and not as intense as it might have been.  

Being in struggle is no doubt really hard, but if we can support ourselves by remembering it’s part of the journey, and maybe adding in a few doses of self-compassion to boot, things might feel a little less isolating and overwhelming. 

So if you find yourself in a challenging situation right now, know that you will emerge out the other side, and you will do so feeling stronger and with a greater understanding of who you are and what you’re capable of.

With love as always, Hannah and Team Bird

Photo by Jack Sloop on Unsplash

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