When life gets challenging...play chess

Ever heard of the moonflower?

The Moonflower, a nightflower relying on creatures like moths and bats for pollination, symbolizes the growth potential of our soul and personality during challenging and difficult periods in our lives. It blooms at night, reminding us that even in darkness, growth is possible.

Everyone has faced dark times—moments where unhappiness, pain, disappointment, and depression seem insurmountable. For me, it wasn't about being lost but knowing too much, breaking under the weight of my own knowledge. I knew what I wanted in life, choosing better when I knew better was the struggle, leading me to a point where I got tired of my own shit and had to stand up—a process that took time and persistence. Every season, for every new level we aim for, something propels us forward, even if it's not always pretty. It's a challenge, and we have to be prepared for it.

Firstly, think of your mental health as your inner environment. Just as it’s your job to keep your physical space clean, it's crucial to maintain a clean inner environment. Neglect invites chaos and when left unattended, your energy dwindles, leading to the lowest possible state of mind. To navigate external challenges, prioritize taking care of your mind, heart, and energy, creating a clean inner space. Do not leave them alone and create a mess there. Because when you're disturbed inside, external influences easily sway you.

Attempting to control external factors to feel good inside is a futile war with reality. You cannot constantly fight everything that unfolds because it's not what you want. The alternative is to clean up your inner house, remove the garbage, confront the past, and emerge bringing something positive to the world. You don't have to find distractions outside or run from yourself. Do the necessary work to clear the clutter.

Accept the unfolding events of your life, comfortable or not, and learn to be comfortable in the reality of life. Instead of fighting, accept and respect life, allowing yourself to grow and expand as you accommodate the challenges.

If something is challenging in your life, then play chess! Be challenged! Because if you had your way, you would never grow.

Events are going to unfold, some of them are comfortable, and some of them are not; that’s reality, and you can’t undo it. So, honor it, find a way to be open and receptive to the reality of life that is coming. It's an opportunity for growth. Recognize your brain's tendency to resist exertion and overcome the inclination to procrastinate. Overcoming laziness or giving up is a gradual process; the more you defy it, the less power it holds.

Fear and doubts are normal, but they don't define you. Brave individuals aren't immune; they've mastered navigating their thoughts, maintaining consistency, and building a supportive network.

Not feeling like doing something is ordinary. The key is to act despite the reluctance, defeating your own self over time. Postponing fear only amplifies it, so learn to be afraid efficiently. Work through doubts, frustrations, and fears; your mind is a powerful tool that can be conquered.

You don’t use “I don’t feel like it” as a reason to not do something. Your fears are not valid reasons to cop out, they only exist as a result of learned habits and self-imposed limitations. If you give in to them you start to believe they are true, but if you reject them you’ll see they aren’t absolute and only exist because you created them. For instance, if you're afraid no one will like the content, you might not post it, rejecting yourself ahead of time. Then you say “No one likes me.” You didn’t even give yourself a chance.

Postponing fear creates more of it in the long run. So the solution is to learn how to be afraid efficiently. Explore it and get to work. Work afraid, work with the doubt, work with the frustration. It’s your mind. You can beat it.