When the student is ready, the teacher will appear, and life always tries to show us something.
Some people don’t realize it, some try to ignore it, some grapple and wrestle with it, and some embrace the lessons life presents. But no matter which category you fall into, you can’t escape life’s lessons.
Here’s why tuning into life and its lessons is crucial to your development.
Why Identify the Lesson?
Until we know what life is trying to show us, there’s nothing we can do in response to change or better our circumstances.
We’ve all experienced pain, whether physical, emotional, or psychological. And most would agree that no matter the category, prolonged pain is the most uncomfortable and undesirable.
The longer we stay in a lesson, the more pain we can expect to experience. Pain is relative, sure, but the unwillingness to face the truth for long periods can mean sacrificing joy in the immediate and having to face the fear repeatedly long-term.
When Problems Grow into Monsters
“Don’t make a mountain out of a molehill” is an idiom that reportedly stems from the 16th century. The modern equivalent is – “Don’t cry over spilled milk.”
Here’s the problem with challenges we refuse to face – they always have a way of cropping up again, at the least opportune moment. By that time, a “molehill” issue can sometimes appear as an insurmountable “mountain.”
Whether it’s talking to the opposite sex, asking for what you need in a relationship, public speaking, making sales presentations, or anything else you might be making a mountain out of – if you don’t face the lesson early, it can grow into a metaphorical monster you don’t feel you can overcome.
What is Life Trying to Show You Now?
For entrepreneurs and ambitious types, nothing is worse than the feeling of being stuck. After all, we believe ourselves to be smarter than that, able to problem-solve any setbacks and overcome any circumstances life throws our way.
But sometimes we can’t progress beyond where we are without dealing with the lesson in front of us. And, of course, we can’t deal with the lesson in front of us without knowing what it is we’re supposed to be learning.
Our progress can grind to a halt and at times it may even seem as though our projects or businesses are shrinking when they should be growing. We can easily end up in a frustrating downward spiral, especially if we try to solve the problem with blunt force.
This is why business is the ultimate personal development tool. We need to be willing to face whatever is there to get to the next level. And whatever is there can appear very scary, especially if we’ve left it to fester for a while.
Concluding Thoughts
If you want to know what lesson you’re supposed to be learning now…
Stop. Become present. Ask the Universe for assistance. Notice what’s showing up in your world. Identify themes and commonalities. Be willing to face the uncomfortable. Write down what comes to you and journal about it. Don’t try to rush the process.
What is it you’re not owning up to, and what can you do about it? The expansion of your world hinges on your willingness to face lessons head-on. Become the kind of person that can dance with the monster.