Are You Thankful for Your Struggle?

“I’m thankful for my struggle, because without it I wouldn’t have stumbled across my strength.” ~Alex Elle

We all know that struggles make us stronger; that obstacles help us discover our resourcefulness; that who we are today is thanks to the challenges we have faced. And we all know that life itself can be a challenge. It’s how we how we respond to the daily struggle that makes all the difference.

Relationships are one part of our life where this can be seen. Relationships aren’t easy. In fact, they can be work. But building stronger relationships is definitely worth any effort. And so often the direction a relationship takes depends simply on how we respond to the other person.

A relationship that never has any conflict is hard to come by (I might even say nonexistent). Relationships involve people, right? So they are pretty much set up to have some obstacles.

One of the most important things we can do when facing a challenge in a relationship is to think carefully about what we say and how we say it. When we feel strongly about something, or when we have been hurt or feel that we have been wronged, choosing our words wisely can be very, very hard. This is when it is even more important. Sometimes it might be tempting to just walk away without saying a word to help resolve the issue. But we should speak up in these situations. Staying quiet and keeping our feelings in will do nothing to build the relationship. Communicating in a way that overcomes obstacles will. Besides thinking about our words, we also need to think about what might be creating interference. How does the other person feel? Whether it’s a personal or professional relationship, think about what else is going on at the same time. Are there other circumstances or people who might have an impact or create an obstacle to the needed communication?

See, this is what I mean by work. But building a strong relationship means that there is a strong foundation in place when other issues arise. And you will come out as a stronger person for taking the time to overcome any struggle!