Life is the Challenge

One of my goals this year is to write something somewhere every single day-whether here on a new blog, an article to submit to an online site, or a chapter or paragraph for a book. Thankfully, I did not make this a new year's resolution or I would have failed miserably by day one!

Some days it seems that life itself is the challenge. Trying to fit everything I want to do in one day is not easy. In fact, if I'm honest with myself, it really is impossible. Where I typically fall short is that I spend altogether too much time beating myself up for the things I do not accomplish, rather than looking at what I have accomplished.

In "2010--A Year of Discovery," I stated:

...it's better for me to simply reflect on where I have been and examine how things may work better if I continue to look beyond the challenges faced each day, month, or year. When I face it that way, I am keenly aware that I really have made some progress over years past!"

So, what did I do yesterday that kept me from making the time to write?

I started my day by building a new friendship with a young woman-a military veteran- who recently left the military at the age of 32. I listened as she shared some of her stories of her time in Afghanistan. She wanted my help in looking beyond the challenge of seeing herself as having few skills needed in today's workplace. We shared our unique perspectives, our individual experiences, and the time it takes to begin to get to know someone.

For several hours, I sat and talked with my new friend and, at the end, realized that I had been given a valuable gift-I was able to see the contribution I made as a female veteran many years ago, and the impact it has had on what women have been able to accomplish today.

Of course, there were many other hours in the day that I could have sat down to write. Instead, I finished some daily chores, and went over to visit my youngest sister and her children for a little while in the evening. By the time I returned home, there were a few more things to finish up and I went to bed to get some much needed sleep after having been down with a nasty bug all holiday week.

In the same article, I also wrote:

"2009 is also the year that I learned about recognizing and growing healthier relationships, not only with others, but also with myself. I am better at letting things go, which do not serve me well, and more discerning about those things that I recognize needing changed in me."

Yesterday was a day for me to build and grow healthy relationships. And it has given me the opportunity to let go of beating myself today for not writing yesterday.

I still have 364 more days this year to look, see, think, and live beyond life's daily challenges and write about them...or not.

After all...LIFE is the challenge.

Source: Coral Levang, "Living Beyond Life's Challenges", Word Press Blog