life struggles

Stop Avoiding Discomfort, Struggle, and Stress

February 8, 2016 by Lee H. Baucom, Ph.D. 1 Comment

Where did we get the notion that life should be one smooth glide down Easy Street? Never has been, never will be. Life is full of struggles, times of discomfort, and challenges.

Thank goodness!

Growth only comes from the struggles and challenges. What we call “stress” is what gives us strength. We rise to a challenge, learn new skills, and get ready for the next challenge.

Don’t get me wrong. I am not encouraging you to chase after struggles and challenges. You don’t need to, since they will come your way.

The question is what you do when a struggle DOES come your way. Do you duck-and-hide, proclaim “life is unfair,” or do you take it on as a challenge? A challenge is something to move through, overcome, learn from, and grow into.

And THAT is the power of a struggle or challenge.

Life is an episode of: Discomfort ==> Change ==> Comfort ==> Discomfort (and repeat). We have periods of comfort, AFTER we have moved through the discomfort, the struggle — UNLESS we avoid the discomfort (or try to). Then, there is no growth, there is no new capacity, and really no comfort.

When the discomfort comes, will you take it on as a sign that it is time to grow?

Learn how in this week’s podcast episode.

(And, hey, if you like it, can you share it below?)

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4 Strategies For Moving From Struggle To Thriving: #47 Thriveology Podcast

December 8, 2014 by Lee H. Baucom, Ph.D. Leave a Comment

Every person has circumstances that knock them down.

A Japanese proverb says,

Fall down seven times, get up eight.

We can’t stop the circumstances. They just happen. You don’t have to seek them out. They will come.

Illness, job loss, relationships ending, business loss, deaths, and any other life circumstances happen. That is the nature of life.

A thriving life is not about what happens to you, but how you respond.

Do you grow through the struggles or do you shrink from it? Do you rise up, or do you stay down? Do you grow, or do you flee?

Yes, we all have grief from the losses. No question, we feel the grief. The question is, what do you do after the grief? How do you take on the struggles, make them challenges, and learn to triumph?

In today’s podcast, I give you 4 strategies to help you shift from victim to victor, and move from struggle to triumph.

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Dealing with Roadblocks and Life Knocks: #26 Thriveology Podcast

June 16, 2014 by Lee H. Baucom, Ph.D. Leave a Comment

You can guarantee life will hand you lumps. You can guarantee there will be roadblocks and tough times.

How will you respond? Will you believe “this just isn’t meant to be?” Or will you believe something else is possible?

In this week’s podcast, I share some of my own life struggles and talk about how we can cope better with roadblocks and tough times.

Let’s learn how to thrive better together, and discuss some strategies for dealing with those life challenges. You CAN face life, even when life seems unfair and challenging.

In fact, a thriving mindset equips you to thrive EVEN BETTER BECAUSE OF the life struggles, not in spite of.

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