When we are faced with problems, we often spend more time thinking about how we can work around them instead of going through them. We look for creative or easier ways to deal with the situation at hand. We feel that simply dealing with the issue head on will just be too difficult and therefore we don’t want to deal with it. But how does that work out for us? It may solve your discomfort for the moment, but when issues are not dealt with head on, they have a tendency to get bigger and worse. Time and time again this happens and yet we continue to try find ways to go around then go through. We do this because we are afraid. We are afraid of pain, discomfort, rejection, suffering, being vulnerable, failure, or whatever other negative emotion it brings.
This week I encourage you to go through your next problem or moment of discomfort head on, not around. Whether this is having a difficult conversation with a loved one or a coworker, making a difficult decision, or doing something you know is going to hard. Going through a problem head on helps you grow. You never know how strong you are until you allow yourself to be vulnerable. When you allow yourself to move through the discomfort you are forcing yourself to face what you fear. When you face what you fear, it is only then you can overcome it. Growth comes through pain and discomfort.
Think of soldiers, athletes, and brilliant thinkers of our time. Do they try to go around problems? Do you think they look for the easy way out? No, they see the problem ahead of them, stop to analyze the situation, and dive head on into the problem in order to solve it. They don’t look for the easy way out knowing that the easy way is not the right way. They grow with each experience making the next head on situation less scary knowing they can make it through. They learn from each mistake so they don’t make them in the future. They learn to embrace the discomfort as a sign of getting stronger. They face their fears and keep going, knowing that success is on the other side.
When you go through your problems, your path is clear. It is hard work, determination, blood, sweat, and tears, but your goal is on the other side. When you go around your problem, your path is unknown. You may veer of course, you may wander and never really find your way back, or you may get lost. Which path will you select when you are faced with struggle?
What situations do you put off ? What situations do you find yourself trying to find a work around? Why? What is it that you fear by going through? What is the worst thing that could happen? What is the best thing that could happen? Learn to understand what makes you uncomfortable about dealing with certain situations and embrace it. Not dealing with what you fear will only hold you back. Learning to face your problems head on is called bravery. Bravery is facing what is scary, difficult, hard, and not knowing the outcome but doing it anyway. Will you choose to be brave?