No Pain, No Gain

Something we all tend to forget and need to be reminded of is the fact that succeeding at anything does not happen without struggles or setbacks. Like we've always been told, "No pain, no gain". 

You cannot get physically stronger without enduring some kind of pain while working out or even after. You cannot have a strong relationship (whether that be with family, within a marriage, or even friendship) without having some uncomfortable conversations. And you cannot cross the finish line of a 5K if you do not push yourself through the pain to get there. No one said success was easy. No one said leadership was easy. And no one said life was easy.

With all of that being said, I want to encourage you to stop looking at any struggle or any setback you may have in life as a failure or as a means to give up; instead, view them as opportunities to grow and/or opportunities to show others and quite frankly yourself, what you are made of! It is often the setbacks and struggles that actually make the person, not the success.

Sometimes struggles and setbacks are a good thing! Now hear me out - it's all in the way you look at it. Struggles and setbacks can be good to reignite your passion, prove how strong your commitment really is, and make you stronger.

REIGNITE YOUR PASSION: Sometimes the road you're on that you hope leads to success can be slow or tiring, so when a setback or a struggle comes along, it can reignite that passion you had inside of you that had unknowingly been pushed aside. The passion you have inside of you is always there in a sense, yes, but it may not always be used. So when something happens that alters the straightforward path you are on, the passion almost instantly comes alive inside of you reignites not only what you already had inside of you, but what caused you to embark on this particular path in the first place.

PROVE YOUR COMMITMENT: When we are faced with a struggle or a setback while trying to reach a certain destination, it can easily sway us the other way and push us towards giving up, but that's how you truly find out how committed you actually are to whatever it is that you are trying to accomplish. Maybe the so called setback and/or struggle ends up being something that ultimately helps you figure out if what you are set out to do is worth it to you or not. So it can either stop you from wasting any more of your time or it can help push you towards completing what you started. A problem that comes along may be seen as a hindrance at first, but it can actually end up being a blessing in disguise.

MAKE YOU STRONGER: The more setbacks and struggles you endure as you make your way towards your desired destination, the stronger you become. Not only that, you also learn from them to better help you get through any other struggles or setbacks in the future. Having to go through a rough patch or an unwanted interruption can also make the finish line that much sweeter when you finally reach it. You will also look back and be more proud of yourself than ever before for doing whatever it took and not letting anything get in your way of reaching the ultimate goal you spent so much time and effort on. 

No one likes to deal with struggles or setbacks of any kind at any time, but the best way to not let them get the best of you and to actually embrace them as they come is to change your mindset about them. If you look at setbacks or struggles as something you can learn from and/or something that will bring out the best in you, they will no longer be a negative occurrence but will instead be just a part of the journey. The faster you accept struggles and setbacks for what they are, just that, the faster you will be able to get over them.

If you're struggling with something right now and feel like you can't get past it, just look at it as a temporary situation and try to see what you can either learn from it and/or benefit from it. It may not be easy to do at first, but I promise you it will surprise you on just what changing your mindset when it comes to setbacks and struggles can do.

Have a great rest of the week and don't let any struggle or any setback keep you from the path you are on! Keep pushing through and do not give up! You are stronger than you think! Your mindset is the most powerful tool you can use to better any situation you are in.

- Dean