Challenges: Bringing us Closer to Who We Really Are
What is considered to be a challenge is unique to each individual. Challenges are something so personal. For one person the challenge may be simply waking up in the morning, while for somebody else it might be running a project with thousands of people involved. No matter how big or small it may seem in the eyes of others, for each of us the challenge is the exact size and shape we need it to be, in the given moment in our life.
Challenges Are Not Threats
Any challenge brings us closer to who we are, to discovering what we love, rejoicing in what we desire and finding what it is we wish for in life. Challenges are not threats or problems, even though we might feel this way. They are instead a door of learning, experiencing, and living our uniqueness. A sort of teacher that is creative, daring and provocative, yet at the same time patient and with the capacity to sense and respond to our desires.
In recent years I’ve felt as if there were challenges around every corner and with almost every step I take. It feels almost as if I am being dared to take the risk, proving to me time and time again that challenge is the best teacher I could ever have. It takes no glory for itself, but rather shows me the steps and lets me take them myself. With each step I am able to learn a new aspect of myself, one I was not aware of before.
Challenges Carve the Path Ahead
At the end of 2016 I established the Pantarei Approach together with Claudia Glowik. The challenges were and still are many. Some of them are challenges filled with beauty, light, reward and inspiration. Some are heavy, personal, difficult and demand of me much more than I would have imagined. When I think about the path I walk on, I feel that it’s built from all the challenges – positive and negative – and each of them is important in its own way. Together they carve this particular path I was invited to walk on and can now proudly invite others to join.
A big part of the challenge was and is about trust. Trusting myself to know that I needed to distance myself from certain people. Trusting my heart and my gut feeling to show me the significant things to follow. Trusting in life and the timing it offered me to embrace this particular challenge. Deciding to trust my own truth and finding out that I was stronger than I ever believe I was has been one of the greatest challenges I have faced.
We often believe that we choose our challenges, however after these recent challenging times, I believe that our challenges choose us. If we can embrace them and agree to face them, without judgement, without arguing, without expectations, or efforts to try to make things different, we are invited into the most fascinating game in life – a game that creates opportunities we had no idea could exist for us.