Problems Don't Go Away, They Just Change

It’s a proud feeling of accomplishment when you finally start to see the light at the end of the tunnel after a really difficult period of time in your life. Whether it’s an injury that sidelined you for months, a mental barrier that held you back from finding peace and happiness, or an emotional heartbreak that left you distraught and overthinking; all these challenges can leave us lacking even a scintilla of hope about when the burden of life will lighten.

These problems and obstacles always seem so insurmountable. That is, until they are surmounted. 

It’s not as much a testament to time as it is to resilience and perserverance. Once that obstacle is overcome, we think that it will only get easier after this or better yet, the classic cliche of it’s only up from here. Trust me, I've said those things and I do wish it was that easy too, but it’s far from it. Just when you think you’ve turned the corner, life throws another curveball at you and it wants to see you handle it better. Then another one is coming. And another. Hard times aren’t meant to eventually blow over, they’re meant to show us our weakness so that we work through them and discover strength within. The more hard times and challenges we surmount, the closer we become to unbreakable. And when we're unbreakable, we’re unstoppable.

If you’re seeking a lifestyle without problems or worries, I don’t think you’ll ever find one. It’s not out there. At least not if you wish to grow and evolve. When we’re going through struggles, it often feels interminable. The finish line is nowhere in sight. It’s daunting and despairing, but through struggle we learn to be relentless and trust ourselves in handling greater and greater challenges. 

Realize that problems aren’t going away, they’re just going to change. We have the power to create worthy problems and fight battles that are deserving of our combat. Don’t look for easy. Lean into challenges fearlessly, and in doing so, learn to handle hard better. Retrospectively, we'll notice that hard times have given us the courage to welcome new challenges because we are prepared and confident in our ability to handle any circumstance. 

Preparation always meets opportunity, and it’s those who can handle challenge after challenge that are truly relentless and resilient. 

Hard times do pass. But they will keep coming in different forms. Learn to recognize new problems as signs of and opportunities for growth.

The sooner we accept that problems will continue to arise, the sooner we’ll become relentless.

Welcome difficulty.

Then Dominate difficulty. 

Brendan McNamara

MTD Co-Founder