Challenges in Life

Having a vision of where you are heading in life is crucial. It applies to all aspects of your daily being, from the personal to family to work and, last but not least, your relationships.

But the big vision at the end of the tunnel can get overwhelming if we don’t focus on where we’re going and get lost somewhere in between.For me, family, relationships, and personal health and well-being were on the right track, the problem was my career and self-development. Believing that I must be here for a purpose has driven me to take up so many challenges throughout my journey in life so far, to prove something; as if I compete with myself all the time. My most recent adventure was participating in a half marathon, and challenging myself to see whether or not I could finish it.I went to the start point with zero knowledge of what goes on or what to expect. I was so occupied with finishing the race that I was not ready at all for what hit me next. At the start, the fear of not being left alone and behind made me run a faster pace than my normal one, so I wasn’t in the moment and enjoying what I was experiencing for the first time.

After a while, I noticed that an experienced runner was trying his best not to leave me behind as he started giving me hints on what is coming up next and encouraging me throughout the run to keep going as I was doing well so far. His mentoring helped me run to the midpoint which I originally had set as my first goal to achieve when I started the marathon. It wasn’t until then that I realized I was keeping him behind his own pace, so I thanked him for his support and let him know that I was doing well and that he should go ahead and continue to enjoy the run at his own pace.It was at this moment that I snapped myself back into the present and remembered that it was my first time participating in a new experience. I stopped trying to figure out how to get it over with and began actually enjoying the experience.The sensation of being alone was so liberating that I already started savoring the sweet taste of achievement and of having raced past another challenge in my life’s journey.That was the moment that I started noticing the amazing blue color of the sea surrounding me, the cool breeze hitting my face, the birds flying freely high above, and the exhilarating sense of achieving another goal in life.Our lives are full of a combination of challenges that we set for ourselves to face and aim to overcome. Once we have decided to tackle a challenge, it means it’s time for it to be tested and passed, to move on to the next one.We will never know the outcome of our encounters unless we take part in them and defy all their challenges and do our best to confront them one by one. We find out in each encounter that there are individuals who are meant to be part of what we are going through at that moment as mentors, supporters, and caregivers, as a sign for us not to give up.One has to be an achiever and never settle until they’ve overcome all the obstacles and hurdles of each challenge to reach the finish line and start a new one.It’s human nature to crave growth more than anything. So as not to lose sight of the growth in our life’s journey, we should not look too far ahead. We should focus on the works along the path instead of setting our sight to the endpoint that is at the end of the tunnel, so far away that it might make us lose hope and give up early in life.Therefore, the next time you’re facing a challenge in life and find yourself skeptical on how far you can go, sit for a moment and recall how far you have come. Reminisce about everything you have tackled, all the battles you have won, all the lovely people who appeared along your path mysteriously to support you, and all the uncertainties you have overcome. Only then will you be ready to dive into your next challenge and do your utmost to conquer it.