I just read a really cool blog post from SOULWOMAN's blog:

http://www.sparkpeople.com/m
ypage_public_journal_indiv
idual.asp?blog_id=4994668

It talks about how struggling benefits the development of a butterfly. Go read it -- there's much food for thought there.



You're back? Oh, good!

This paragraph from it just hit me between the eyes:

"Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life. If we went through our life without any obstacles, it would cripple us. We would not be as strong as what we could have been. And we could never fly."

How many of us have groused, kvetched, and complained about how *hard* it is to lose weight and keep it off? Please note that they verbs used in the previous sentence would aptly describe my reactions to the difficulties that life throws in the way of my attempts. Trying and failing multiple times at living a healthy lifestyle doesn't exactly make MMCOOL_1 a happy camper.

The idea of that story somewhat reminded me of that notion that struggling to achieve something builds character (and all this struggling to become healthy has made me quite a character...)

But seriously, this story points to something more important -- it's not just that we build character when we work through challenges; it's that our growth as individuals is stunted if everything we do would come easily to us. We would never reach our full potential without enduring hardships.

Of course, this is true. Who hasn't worked through a problem and, when on the other side, wondered how they made it through. 'I didn't think I had it in me,' you muse, 'but I guess I'm stronger than I realized.'

Yes, you are. And it is through struggling that you, too, will emerge from your cocoon as a fully developed, beautiful butterfly.

(Image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/s
fajane/5112023570/)