Fighting Dragons

There are Dragons in life ready to ambush you just as they waylay the heroines and heroes of epic stories.

Their goal? If not, annihilation then destruction of your happiness and yourself.

Okay, maybe there aren't really fire-breathing dragons ready to burn you to a cinder, but there is something just as scary and destructive. 

What are they? The Challenges of Life.

Sometimes I think I'd rather be battling dragons since we have fire extinguishers now. Life is difficult, and you never reach a place in life where there are no challenges.

Illness, failure or lack of success, physical frailty, lost love, the death of someone you love—those are just a few the challenges we face in life. I have challenges, and so do you. There is no person on this planet who doesn't face some challenge or difficulty in life.

It takes strength—emotional, physical, and mental strength—to get through life.

You build that strength with habits learned from parents, i.e., don't quit when the going gets tough, work hard to achieve goals, be patient when frustrated, success takes preparedness, and so many other mental and emotional skills.

I learned much from my parents and grandparents. I also kept acquiring "persistence and endurance skills" as an adult by reading books by motivational thinkers like Earl Nightingale, Brian Tracy, Tony Robbins, Stephen Covey, and so many others. 

I'm a lifelong learner and proud of it. I've endured situations that I would have thought would have crumpled me like a paper wad—like my daughters who have had health challenges for nearly 15 years including brushes with death.

I've been the one who always took care of my immediate family and my extended family. I've mourned the loss of dear friends, parents, my husband's parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, a brother-in-law, and most recently my beloved sister-in-law.

Dragons Challenges are cruel. I finally faced a challenge to my physical health with a shoulder injury and then a knee problem. I spent most of 2022 in pain, and PT did little to resolve the issue. My main goal this year—just to be happy that I'm here—meant I needed to get my mobility and strength back which meant conquering the shoulder and knee problem.

PT ON STEROIDS

This week I started my first session with what I decided to call PT on Steroids. The first 90 minute session was intense, but amazing I was able to walk without my knee feeling as if it would collapse. Hurrah! 

I'd like to leave you with a couple of quotations that might help you if you take them to heart.

"If you have a positive attitude and constantly strive to give your best effort, eventually you will overcome your immediate problems and find you are ready for greater challenges." —Pat Riley

"If I could talk to my younger self, I would just say that the path to great things is filled with a lot of stumbles, suffering, and challenges along the way. But if you have the right attitude and know that hard times will pass—and you get up each time—you will reach your destination." —Jonny Kim

Oh, how I wish I could speak to my younger self. I'd tell her this: "You're stronger than you ever thought you could be. Don't be afraid of what lies ahead. When life gets tough, be tougher because that kind of strength lies within you. You may not be aware of it, but it will grow stronger with each challenge you face and overcome."

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Dragons, you better watch out!