Difficult Situations Make Powerful Allies

Have you ever had a day or say even a month - ok, maybe longer - where asking for help seemed to fall on deaf ears? You try and you try, yet things don't get better. Or worse yet, they do get better, only to fall apart later.


It took me years to learn to recognize this pattern as one of the most powerful allies in life. Hardship is very tough to see as an ally. (And I like to be clear that all hardship is not an ally. Sometimes we just believe things should be hard, so we do everything the hard way!) Hardship is not warm and supportive in the moment, but like other allies and guides, it can illuminate the way. Like a fine steel edge, sometimes we need to be tempered. This requires heat and friction. It wears us down --- down to a finely honed edge that can really get the job done. A blade that is not sharp causes a lot of damage!


It is often within hardship that we learn the skills we need to meet our purpose, stay in relationship, find or own strengths and limits. So how do we know whether we're just making things difficult or whether we are in the middle of a really big personal teaching that will give us fabulous life skills? This is not an important question. Regardless of the reason, the pathway out is the same.

The important question (and the key to moving on) is, "What is the teaching here for me?" As soon as one can understand and honor the personal lesson(s), the resistance to moving on eases - and often what seemed impossible now lies at your feet. And even better, you have the skills you need to handle it. This is a gift - don't step over it.