Hardship is a Blessing if You View it as a Lesson: by Katheryn Labosky
“There is no success without hardship.”- Sophocles.
In today’s world especially online, the hardships of others are often spoken of
by those experiencing them. There is a tendency to view hardship as a
negative when in fact it oftentimes is a positive.
To illustrate this point I want to share a true story. The name was changed but
it is a real person who experienced very real hardship. Perhaps it will help
others who are experiencing hardships.
A young beautiful girl named Klara, married young. Memories of her childhood
were filled with a tumultuous course of events. This was her chance to start
fresh. She married the man of her dreams. She and her husband wanted
nothing more than to get started in their life so they had children immediately
finding all the happiness they imagined. Her world felt perfect, building the
American dream with a husband she adored. Then tragedy found its way into
Klara’s home. Her beloved husband died suddenly, leaving her alone with the
children.
Grief pulled her into a dark space. She grappled with this awful new reality
often wondering why this happened to her. Once reality set in, she knew she
had to go on. Klara often fought back tears as she sat with one child in her lap
dozing and another next to her as she created a plan for her life. But
somehow she found the strength in those beautiful faces of her children to
push on. She finished her education, while working three jobs, and
establishing a business.
Klara felt so exhausted on some days she almost slept standing up. She
recalls this part of her life saying she felt like she didn’t get a good night’s
sleep for almost twenty years. Some days seemed endless. She struggled
between being overwhelmed and self-pity.
But when these feelings popped up she quickly resisted these feelings,
shaking them off quickly and instead focusing on the joy her children brought
her. They often made her laugh with their silly antics. It was in these
moments that she found comfort. When she started to feel pity she looked
back over her life and noted how she was improving herself and modeling
acceptance for her children.
Today Klara is a successful businesswoman, and the children are even more
successful than she is. They grew up seeing how to approach anything in their
lives with a sense of positivity and that has led to a life that is exceptionally
rewarding for them.
The lesson here is that everyone experiences hardship. As you go through
these events your mindset matters. If you think negatively it will lead to down
trodden feelings and emotions, optimally getting you nowhere fast. If you
focus on the positives looking for opportunity, you will find that you can
overcome any hardship. This will lead you to success in business and in life.
Klara has many friends, has a fulfilling life (no life is perfect and Klara still
works on hers), and has very adept adult children who have experienced
hardship themselves and have also moved through their hardships with
success. Klara instilled in her children that they can overcome anything. She
reminds them of where they started versus where they are today. Attitude is
a choice.
Of course, everyone has a different hardship to face and life is filled with
obstacles. But tackling each obstacle positively leads to a positive outcome
and strengthens resolve in all areas of life! Joy journeys are created, not
given!
