“Change and growth take place when a person has risked himself and dares to become involved with experimenting with his own life.”—-Herbert Otto

Like a butterfly trying to break free of the cocoon, a young child maturing and struggling through puberty, or the pain of orthodontia as one’s teeth slowly move into straight alignment, pain and struggle are involved.

Growing pains  by definition are not pleasurable.  They purposely are painful for many reasons.

First, without the recognition and realization that a change is occurring, we would not appreciate it and see the opportunity that is being presented.  With the new abilities – a butterfly to now soar, a young adult to now reason and be self-sufficient, a beautiful smile to aid our health and share with the world – the opportunities are plentiful, but if we didn’t realize them, we very likely might ignore the potential that they afford.

“Convert difficulties into opportunities, for difficulties are divine surgeries to make you better.”  ~Author Unknown

Secondly, growing pains are a test.  A test to make certain that what one is struggling for is indeed what they want. For example, a completed literary novel is not capable of being created with the snapping of the fingers.  A writer must demonstrate regular discipline, passion and dedication in the task of completing the manuscript in order to have the opportunity of appreciating and drinking in the results.  The wannabes are weeded out during the period of growing pains as they eliminate themselves from the process, but those who forge ahead, who struggle through the growing pains of questions and doubts are answering the test in a sufficient manner that will garner the possibility for great success.

“Adversity is like a strong wind.  It tears away from us all but the things that cannot be torn, so that we see ourselves as we really are.”  ~Arthur Golden, Memoirs of a Geisha

Lastly, growing pains allow for rich and eternal appreciation of the hard work that was necessary to savor the success that is possible of being achieved after persevering through the adversity, pushing past the critics, and staying on track even though it would have been much easier to let the last problem dealt with halt the engine.

“Defeat may serve as well as victory to shake the soul and let the glory out.”  ~Edwin Markham

There can be many moments of growing pains along the path toward each of our desired goals, and in everyone’s life in general, throughout the many stages, growing pains are the norm.  It is the adversity that causes us to reflect, reevaluate and decide what the legacy is we want to leave behind.

We must consider ourselves lucky for receiving adversity because it means we each have an opportunity to better our lives, to not remain stagnant, for when we are stagnant we are no longer truly living.

Adversity is the stepping stone to a more truthful place of where we are meant to go, of where are abilities can take us if we choose to tap into them.

Today, if you find yourself embattled and ambivalent on how to proceed in a situation that is giving you a difficult time, look inward and ask yourself what is this struggle trying to reveal to me? What can I take away from it and use to improve my life? If you choose to see it as a lesson, you will prevail. Don’t let the alternative keep you from your true potential.

“Every problem has in it the seeds of its own solution.  If you don’t have any problems, you don’t get any seeds.”  ~Norman Vincent Peale