Difficulties make you grow



I really like this quote by Mary Anne Radmacher and it inspired this poster. I took this photo yesterday on the shore of the St. Lawrence River. I thought the evening light made these stalks of grass look so lovely and delicate, like a Japanese brush painting.

Everyone has problems and challenges in their lives. How they face them determines whether they just crawl under a rock and give up, or persevere and overcome.

In the past I've often given up after a failure, thinking that it was too hard and why bother continuing to try? I don't take failure very well and have often taken it personally. Instead I should view failure as a chance to grow, a chance to try again and a chance to do even better this time. I'm getting better with age.

It does hurt to fail, but it shouldn't be an excuse to quit. Instead we need to reassure ourselve that we're still good people, still valuable and worthy of love and respect. Then when we're ready, we should try again.

Life's challenges, problems and failures don't have to reduce us to feeling like a victim who is convinced the world is out to get them. Instead, we should view each obstacle as a chance to grow stronger, braver and more creative.

As the motto of the Royal Air Force states, "Per ardua ad astra" (Through adversity to the stars)

I see those stars up there sparkling and twinkling just out of my grasp. I'm going to push forward through the adversity to reach those stars today. Who wants to join me?

Comments

  1. UnknownJune 23, 2014 at 2:28 PM

    They do make you grow eventually but they sure are disheartening in the present. All well and good for the future. A person just can't dwell on it. You have to keep plugging forward and onward.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. UnknownJune 23, 2014 at 2:35 PM

      I agree, Kathy. It's no fun to go through adversity and hard times.Yes, we must persevere and keep looking for the good stuff, despite the obstacles and setbacks.

      Delete
  2. Kajal KapurJune 23, 2014 at 6:51 PM

    Great words of wisdom there and I love that picture...i think you're a great photographer then :)

    Yes, adversity is often killing but it takes perseverance to overcome the hard times. That's how we learn our strengths, sometimes :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. UnknownJune 26, 2014 at 3:25 AM

      Thanks, Kajal. I agree that perseverance is the key. Giving up never solves anything.

      Delete
  3. PratibhaJune 23, 2014 at 7:49 PM

    I was the kind of a person who took failures personally too. Then came a time when I realised that I had to learn from the mistakes rather than dwelling on it an coming out with possible scenarios in my mind on how to handle it well.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. UnknownJune 26, 2014 at 3:26 AM

      Sounds like you came up with a good strategy for failure, Pratibha. Good for you!

      Delete
  4. Battered HopeJune 23, 2014 at 8:54 PM

    I loved the quote - had not heard it before. There are also many quotes about failure but they are pretty much all say the same -- as you said -- if you fail, try again. Persevere and push forward. Never give up. Thank you for the reminder

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. UnknownJune 26, 2014 at 3:27 AM

      Thanks, Carol. Let's keep going and not give up.

      Delete
  5. beingFabJune 23, 2014 at 9:01 PM

    That is a beautiful photograph!! And your words are really comforting - though our initial response is bound to be that of a victim, with time and patience, we can train our mind to use it as a learning opportunity.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. UnknownJune 26, 2014 at 3:28 AM

      So true, beingFab. I have often seen myself as a victim which is so defeating. Time to change that perspective.

      Delete
  6. Shailaja VJune 24, 2014 at 2:28 AM

    I would never have guessed it was a photograph! That's beautiful! And, to share your sentiment, I agree that failure is a stepping stone to success, if we choose to see it that way. Good for you, Cat!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. UnknownJune 26, 2014 at 3:29 AM

      Thanks, Shailaja! Good way to look at failure as a stepping stone to success. I would often use it as an excuse to give up but I can see that persevering is the key.

      Delete
  7. SuzyJune 24, 2014 at 3:59 AM

    The difficult times are our greatest teachers. Great quote by Mary Ann Radmacher. Good on ya Cat - keep moving onwards and upwards.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. UnknownJune 26, 2014 at 3:30 AM

      Thanks, Suzy. So true that difficult times often teach us more than the good times.

      Delete
  8. Beloo MehraJune 24, 2014 at 9:32 PM

    Beautiful photograph and beautiful thoughts here. I think that while it is often hard at the time when we are in the middle of some big crisis, but after a while we can objectively see that the difficulty was indeed an opportunity for us to grow in some manner we become more accepting and more receptive to the future challenges that must inevitably come in this journey called life. Thanks for this thoughtful post!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. UnknownJune 26, 2014 at 3:32 AM

      Thanks, Beloo. Good way to look at it to accept that difficulties will always come instead of expecting things to always be good. Acceptance is hard to do but often necessary.

      Delete
  9. Debbie D. June 25, 2014 at 5:04 PM

    That's a lovely photo Cathy! What gets me through the toughest times is to remember that things could always be worse "Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger" is my credo. Failure is never pleasant, but, there's always something to learn from it. I gave up writing in my 20s, because the constant rejection finally got to me and it's one of my biggest regrets. Yup; let's keep pushing! ☺

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. UnknownJune 26, 2014 at 3:34 AM

      Thanks, Debbie. I had fun taking photos at sunset. Such a magical light there by the St. Lawrence. So glad you decided to write again. We are all lucky you decided to try again. I agree. Let's keep pushing!

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

#MicroblogMonday - Small Actions Do Make a Difference

Image
My family has a band made up of me on flute, my husband on bass clarinet, one son on tenor sax and the other on drums. We play music at the Presbyterian church we attend every third Sunday.  Our church congregation are a traditional, conservative bunch, not known for displaying too much emotion and often I assume that no one cares much if we play or not. Yesterday I was at a funeral for one of the members. A woman came up to me and told me how much she loves to see my sons perform and how the music just pours out of us. She always looks forward to the Sundays when we are performing and how much our music means to her. Her appreciation for our music reminded me that even small actions can have a big impact. It also reminded me that if someone does make a difference, it’s important to thank them and show your appreciation. Never assume that people know already as often they’re like me and don’t think that these small actions are a big deal. Never underestim...
Read more

#MondayMusings Acceptance of Loss and Change

Image
This cartoon certainly touched a nerve this morning and triggered an outpouring of emotion that has evolved into this blog post. I sure miss my mom’s phone calls. That was our way of staying connected across the vast thousand mile distance between Ontario and Cape Breton.  My mom just loved to talk on the phone with friends and family, especially during the last few years of her life when she wasn’t as active anymore. She would come out to the sunroom, sit in her favourite chair (sometimes with an orange cat in her lap) and phone people. She used to put on the speaker phone which I never liked, but she found it easier and my dad could listen in, too. I used to tell her I wasn't a phone person and that I preferred email and Facebook are since I express myself best in writing.  What I wouldn't do for one of my mom’s phone calls now. Miss her every day. I'm adapting and going on, as one must do after losing a loved one, but life is defini...
Read more