How to Embrace Challenge for Personal Growth

Challenge. Many of us view that word as a negative concept that life throws our way – an obstacle that must be overcome for us to be able to live our lives in peace and happiness.

What I’ve found is quite the opposite.

In my years as an acupuncturist and an avid adrenaline junkie, I’ve found that we NEED challenges to thrive.

Without challenge, we self-destruct.

Perfect, easy-going relationships will begin to fill with meaningless conflict, sickness or weight gain. Or unexpected bills and expenses will show up to jam up our finances.

Whether we invite challenges in our lives or not, they will show up.

Why?

You see, as humans, we are primarily made up of the materialization and transformation of energy. This energy functions as a constant balancing of the tension between two polarities — yin and yang — love/hate, harmony/chaos, good/evil, intimacy/closed off, etc. Yin is contractive (negative), and yang is expansive (positive).

This ongoing push and pull is necessary for our development. Without it, we don’t exist. The goal is to achieve balance between the two polarities, because if we lean too far into one energy over the other, we create an imbalance in our lives.

When we are in a positive (yang) state for too long without challenge, we will self-sabotage our happiness and success in an effort to balance ourselves out.

Since this tension is part of our existence, we can either consciously choose to add positive challenges to our lives to keep us in a state of balance and flow -OR- we can avoid challenge all together and allow our subconscious to create that negative tension for us – and it will likely do it with far less grace and practicality.

Let’s see if you’re ready for a CHALLENGE!

Here are some valuable questions to ask yourself to see if it might be time for a challenge:

• CAREER: Do you experience aliveness in your career? Is there any real challenge in your career? Are you growing in your career?
• RELATIONSHIPS: Do you experience aliveness in your primary relationship? Is there still a challenge in your relationship? Are you growing in your relationship?
• SEX: Do you experience aliveness in your sex life? Is there any real challenge in your sex life? Are you repressing your sexual desires in any way?
• Now, ask your own questions about spirituality, your finances, relationships to family and friends, health & body, and any other life area that might be lacking challenge.

If you answered NO to any of the questions, these are the areas in which you are experiencing an imbalance.

What changes can you make to create a positive challenge in that area of your life?

For example, if your relationship is stagnant, what new challenge can you introduce to make it exciting again? Maybe take up a joint hobby or activity (take up sailing), or start a side business built upon your shared abilities (an online company you run together in your spare time).

You have the power and ability to create your own reality, to change what isn’t working and to manifest what you desire.

Challenge Yourself. Step into the greatest, grandest version of yourself. Become UNSTOPPABLE!