Category: PersonalGrowth

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Facing Challenges

lake surrounded by trees

Today as I was driving I noticed how some of the leaves are changing color. I’m fortunate that, although I live in an urban area, there are many trees and a variety of types of trees so that in the next few weeks I will see more and more changes. Shades of gold, orange, and red intermixed with the green of the pine trees. Although generally I enjoy the changes of seasons, I have to admit I sometimes dread the coming of winter, with its cold temperatures and fewer hours of sunlight. So I have mixed feelings about the coming of fall again because it signals the coming of winter. But fall certainly is a very pretty time of the year.

The seasons are symbolic of many things. The seasons reflect the stages of life, from a baby being in the spring of life to an elderly person being in the winter of life. Thinking about the seasons also reminds me of dealing with the challenges I must face from time to time, those challenges that help me to become more whole. Just as I don’t look forward to winter, I don’t look forward to dealing with difficulties. I recognize that they are part of the reality of life, and I acknowledge that they help me to change in positive ways, but I still don’t look forward to them. And yet, once I have faced and dealt with a difficult situation to the best of my ability, I get to feel good about myself and to sense the inner change that has taken place. For after winter comes spring, a time of rebirth and renewal.

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We Are Cared For

sparrows on white sand

As I was walking from the bus to my work this morning, a sparrow flew down onto the sidewalk a little ways from me. When I see a sparrow I’m reminded of the verse in the Bible, Matthew 6:26, that speaks of the birds of the air that do not sow and reap but instead the Creator provides for them, and our Creator provides for us as human beings as well. Obviously that is not a direct quote from a certain translation of the Bible, but that’s the idea. And although that verse speaks of birds in general, not just sparrows, for me it’s the sparrow that reminds me of the idea expressed. I think this might be because sparrows are not showy birds: they’re small, not as colorful as many other birds are, there are many of them so they are not a rare species, and they live in many types of habitats, both in the countryside and in cities. Kind of like human beings. Most of us are not showy either: we lives our lives, do our work, try to fulfill our responsibilities, and hopefully have people who we love and who love us.

It helps me to be reminded that the Creator takes care of me, especially when I find myself worrying about something. I believe it’s important that I try to discern what the Creator wants me to do and that I make an effort to do whatever that is. As I have written in other posts, I have found that doing Jungian dreamwork is one way of discerning this. And in addition it’s important that I realize I’m never alone in those endeavors. And most importantly I must always remember that whatever I do accomplish is only possible because the Creator makes it possible.

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Perseverance

In my work as a crisis line counselor, I speak with callers of various ages and who have a variety of concerns.  A concern that comes up frequently is struggles with addiction.  Callers have reached the point where they know their addiction is hurting themselves and others and they want to stop–whether it be alcohol, other drugs, gambling, cutting, and/or other behaviors.  It is very difficult to stop doing a behavior that has become addictive.  But thankfully many people have succeeded in maintaining sobriety; there are many success stories.  I respect people who work hard to stop their addictive behavior in order to make their lives and the lives of the people they love better.  Knowing that others have succeeded can bring hope to those who are trying to stop.

It is generally difficult for a person to do this without the assistance of other people.  There are 12-step programs for all types of addictions that help people stop the behavior and also provide ongoing support to decrease the chances of them starting again.  For some people, doing individual work with a therapist is what helps most.  Others have found the help they needed by attending a residential treatment program.  No matter what type of assistance is provided, it is the person who has the addiction who does the difficult work of taking the steps toward sobriety; he or she perseveres.

Perseverance is a quality that is essential to living life well.  Although in this post I’ve focused on the difficulties of addiction, perseverance is needed to deal with every type of challenge.  Life naturally gives us challenges, and doing our best to make the right choices, to have courage as we follow through on those choices, and to accept the suffering that often accompanies doing the right thing all require perseverance.  And when we’ve made it through that period of difficulty by doing what we knew was right, we will have grown as individuals.