Learning To Embrace Struggles…

As an individual, it often seems like the only constants in life are the challenges standing between you and your goals. These obstacles often leading to stress, anxiety, and self-doubt. However, the struggles we face offer us a path to growth and success.

We need to learn how to embrace challenges.
I’ve taught myself to embrace and frankly adore the challenges that come my way, pushing to find the joy and opportunity in even the darkest of situations.

The temptation to despair or blame others for things is often strong, but it can be overcome. The simple truth is that in any given situation, the only thing that you truly have control over is yourself. As difficult as it may seem, you always have the choice to recognize the obstacle for what it is, find something positive, and work like hell to push through it.

My lesson in developing grit started shortly after I graduated college. I took a job as a PA to MD with Shimoga Castings Ltd, Mysore, which has given me to understand management thoughts at an early age.  It was, without a doubt, the most challenging time in my life. As it was my first job and was reporting to the highest authority, every time I made an error a part of me wanted to run. The temptation to quit was strong, but I forced myself to endure. I would leave the company, but only on my terms.

Then I joined TCI Ltd as a PA to Regional Manager and was reporting to 5 other functional managers also, including HR Manager. It was definitely a challenging one and I resolved to handle every threat and stress that could be thrown at me with grit and determination. No one would control how I felt or responded. It wasn’t easy, but I never fell short of my own expectations. I pushed myself more and more and managed to stick it out long enough to gain skills that would serve me well in the future.

From there I never looked back. Worked for different industries and companies in my illustrious career of 30 years. Faced a lot of insult, challenges, threats, became a victim of internal politics, etc. But you need to treat them as opportunities and not as obstacles. Every insult, criticism, and destructive comment made by superiors in these 30 years of illustrious career instigated me to become mentally strong and bounce back through my excellent work. I have the same enthusiasm, learning apetiteness even today. Age is only a number, it can never kill your enthusiasm. Even today I am always ready to take up any challenges thrown at me. In fact, would love to take up tough challenges as it will give more satisfaction.

The only way to nurture grit and capitalize on the opportunities that challenges offer is to demonstrate an unshakable will to thrive. That’s really all there is to it. It’s both the easiest and most difficult thing in the world. You simply have to want it badly enough to constantly push forward. Will you fail at times? Absolutely. Will it be easy? Never. The only thing you can do is keep at it.

The challenges and problems we face in our lives represent the roadmap to greatness. Whether we choose to follow that map is up to us. There is no secret formula for success. The only thing you need is the will to confront your struggles, the desire to find joy in even the darkest times, and the determination to keep moving forward no matter what.

I am sure this year taught all of us how difficult it is to face this kind of unexpected challenge. However, we learnt a lot of lessons from this challenge. Let us find ways to face the challenges, learn how to treat the obstacles as opportunities, and do well in the testing times.

Wish you all a bright and fruitful year – 2021

By Narasimha, founder of NHRWA Trust

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