Struggle... such an odd looking and sounding word. But a word that can cause anxiety and fear.
During lunch, Rob & I were discussing what it means "to struggle". Besides the dictionary's definition, to struggle can have varying meaning depending on the person's environment, experiences, and the bubble they have grown up in called America.
To me, struggling isn't getting through college (though that is an accomplishment) or working a job that may not be respected or pays well (be grateful). Struggling is learning how to survive after losing a job and then a house because you have no money; or finding a safe place to sleep or eat to stay alive; or being a single parent, working and raising children w/o them feeling the struggle.
What does struggling mean to you?
I am blessed to have an otherwise easy life. I compare my struggles with those who have not been so blessed, and they seem paltry.
ReplyDeleteMy struggles are internal: self-esteem, character, and values. It is a luxury, and sometimes I forget.
It's interesting to ponder this, and I remember a post I put up about this idea - http://bit.ly/hzT6QP - on Christmas. Fast forward a couple of months and what's occurred to me is that we really do create the context for our lives. Put another way, the way circumstances show up for me are only a product of how I relate to them. It's an exercise I've taken on and find that I can let go of this notion that something has to be a struggle. It's only a struggle if I say it is. I'm not suggesting hard work goes away, I'm merely talking about the relationship to the work.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I've observed, we love to challenge ourselves - mentally and physically. We get something from that - for me, it's the notion that I'm not taking life for granted. Thank you for posting this as it gave me access and a place to share my thoughts.
For me struggling is all over the place. It's me against me, me against them, or me against the world.
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