Strength grows out of struggle. Moses was not born with a silver spoon. He was born to slaves and fortunate to be raised in the kings' palace. He never knew what it meant to face adversity. He had everything he needed as an adopted son of the kings' daughter.
Things changed for the worst when he attempted to fight for the right of his brethren. He killed to achieve that. He fled to exile when it occured to him that people knew about the murder.
Fleeing from the palace where he had security and good things of life exposed him to the other side of life. He struggled to survive and took up a job as a shepherd. You imagine how difficult it is to suddenly become a sheep keeper from the status of a kings' son.
For every struggle, their is a seed of equivalent benefit and opportunity. His own opportunity was to learn how to be patient and positively influence others. It took him 40 years to master the skill. He became a great leader and deliverer thereafter.
Does struggle or adversity has anything meaningful to contribute to our lives? What are the benefits and opportunities in struggle? We'll find answers in this write up.
From the laboratory of Thomas Edison came the fluorescent lamp. He failed 10,000 times before he discovered the formula that worked. We may not bother ourselves with how many years that took him but one thing that is sure was that he contended with forces of failure and struggled to survive with great persistence. Each time he had failed, he told himself 'i have discovered another method that doesn't work'.
The strongest trees in the forest are not those most protected, they are those that must struggle against the elements and other trees and surmount them to survive.
Who says there is no benefits from struggle? Marthin Luther King Junior led the civil right campaign in America. Although killed at his prime, the struggle opened up new opportunities and doors of freedom for blacks. About fifty years later, the current American President-Barack Obama enjoys great benefits from that struggle.
Adversity opens up benefits of cumulative education as a result of the experience we gather. Struggle gives wisdom and strength sufficient for our needs. Nelson Mandela became highly influential and popular in South Africa and the world. He was elected as the first black President in that country-a direct benefit of the struggle but it never came on a platter of gold. He spent 25 years in the gulag as a result of his opposition to apatheid policy of Government.
Sorrow toughens the human spirit. Decide not to follow the path of least resistance in life. Without the strength of character that grows out of struggle, we would be mightily tempted to flow through life with little purpose or plan.
In the words of Napoleon Hill, 'once we understand the broad purpose of life, we become reconciled to the circumstances that force us to struggle. As a result, we accept struggle for what it is -opportunity'.
One of the great benefits of struggle is that it forces us to move when we would otherwise stand still. This leads to the full realization that success comes only through struggle. Show me a successful person and I will show you someone who who has struggled in life.
Life is a struggle and the rewards go to those who meet difficulty face to face, overcome it and move on to the next challenge. Don't avoid it. Embrace it and use it to help you learn, grow and succeed.
Solomon Benard is a freelance writer, motivator and publisher. He reveals success nuggets-Magic Keys To Success at http://blog.benardsolomon.com