No Pressure, No Diamonds

It is truly amazing how the universe works....This morning I awoke to read a chapter on Perturbation (from Kurek Ashley's "How would Love respond?" See http://www.kurekashley.com/)- the experience of pushing through challenges on the path to our goals.

Pushing through challenges causes us to learn new strategies, skills, perceptions and ultimately, take new actions. This enables a new and more improved "us" to be created; a person who is closer to achieving the goals we have set ourselves. I will explain more in a moment...

I was compelled to share this idea with one of my clients in particular so I immediately got up to head to my computer to write her an email..As I opened my Outlook to begin typing this message I received my daily inspirational quote (thank you Tracy- see http://www.inspireyourday.com.au/), which today was...

"No pressure, no diamonds." - Thomas Carlyle Then it occurred to me that I had learned a similar lesson so not so long ago- stretch, struggle, succeed...(thank you George, see http://www.reddaycoaching.com/) :)

I knew then I had to share this concept on a larger scale- with all those I care about- as every day we ALL face challenges.... and no doubt we ALL have great big dreams that require us to break through challenges, feel uncomfortable, face our fears, if we are to reach those goals and dreams...This is a truly scary and uncomfortable process- so much so, that often we wish and look for quick, easy ways to get to where we want to go...Consider however, the ultimate disservice we do to ourselves when we wish for, and perhaps opt for, these seemingly more easy and effortless choices....and how in the long run, at best we may end up back where we started, or worse, further behind than we began....

I love the analogy of a butterfly breaking free from its cocoon...When the time comes for a butterfly to leave its cocoon, many hours of struggling and fighting occur....slowly, over a long time, small pieces of the cocoon are broken away...At the start, there is only a tiny hole, much too small for the butterfly to break through...the butterfly must continue its fight, continue to struggle, slowly but surely making the hole bigger and bigger over time...If we see this struggle, we may be compelled to intervene, thinking, “That poor butterfly, it's never going to get out”. We may for example find a knife to cut away the rest of the cocoon, to help the butterfly be free. Let's say we do this..The butterfly will emerge instantly! It will be free of its fight and struggle...Yet there will be something not quite right about this butterfly...it will have a swollen body and tiny, shrivelled up wings...it will crawl along the ground, unable to fly... ever... It will never live the life intended for it..

What we miss here is that the struggle the butterfly goes through to free itself of its restrictive cocoon, is an absolutely necessary process required for the fluid in its body to be forced into its wings...In this way, once the butterfly finally emerges from its cocoon, its wings will be developed enough to support its body and carry it through the air into the life it was intended for...So I urge you today and everyday to reflect on your goals...

"What is it that I want most?”Consider then 3 things you can do to move towards this goal...baby steps...progress not perfection...And when you come up against challenges....when you start to fear....get excited! Move forward through these....push through, keeping your head high.... gracefully and gratefully accept the lessons they offer....for it is only when we STRETCH ourselves, that we can encounter the STRUGGLE, which makes us grow, learn new skills and then...experience SUCCESS.....!

If the butterfly story doesn't do it for you, consider someone who wins the lottery...if this person struggled financially before their big win, the statistics tell us they are likely to end up back where they started, or worse off. In fact some end up bankrupt...How is that?...Without the learning of the skills required to handle large sums of money (which if they already had would mean they would likely have more money in their lives to begin with), they spend recklessly and make poor choices...Alternatively, in struggling towards a better financial position, we learn valuable skills that mean when we do “hit the jackpot” we are well equipped to know how to best manage money, thereby creating more money and following an UPWARD spiral, rather than a downfall...

So, the message here is that the only SUSTAINABLE way towards the rewards we desire, is through facing challenges, fears and discomfort...the bigger the seeming struggle, the bigger the success....So, to all of you out there....move forward with courage and determination knowing that feeling uncomfortable is good! It is taking you towards bigger and better things!

“Smooth sailing never makes for an experienced captain”

And....

“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over, expecting a different result” –Albert Einstein

Of course, I feel this message and story applies perfectly to the journey of moving towards better health and fitness...

Many of us are tempted to seek out quick fixes...there are so many...!

Before you embark on another quick fix, or another too-good-to-be true offer...please reflect on today's message :)

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Love to hear from any of you :)
xoxo
BridgetJaneFood, Body, Lifestyle Guru
bridget@newleafnutrition.com.au
0421332243
http://www.newleafnutrition.com.au/