It’s inevitable. Struggle, heartbreak, challenge, disappointment and adversity are all a part of life. Although we may be intellectually accepting of this fact, remembering this emotionally  can be another story.    “The necessity for struggle… forces individuals to expand, develop, progress, and become strong through resistance. Struggle can, and does, become either an ordeal or a magnificent experience through which the individual expresses gratitude for the opportunity to conquer the cause of the struggle.” This proven principle by one of the world’s greatest influencers Napoleon Hill,  is a key tool in personal effectiveness and begs the question:

How do we ensure that struggle while initially, can feel like an ordeal, doesn’t stay that way? How do we transform  struggle into a magnificent, triumphant experience?

1. Focus your Thoughts!
The only thing you ever have control over is your freedom to choose. You may not be able to control events, but you CAN control how empowered or dis-empowered your response is. Thoughts are things and are incredibly powerful! Are you aware and directing your thoughts toward what you want, or swept away by what you don’t want? Which leads us to the next step….

2. Have a clear desire or purpose
A clearly defined purpose is an agreement that you make with yourself to control and direct your thoughts. It creates a compelling vision that that keeps you true to what’s most important. Purpose is like the “overdrive” in a car – when we need that extra power to climb those steep  hills, we have it when we need it. Without purpose, we don’t have the overdrive or the GPS… with purpose…. we are ASSURED that whatever comes up, we can handle it – we’re willing to pay the price of temporary discomfort, defeat or failure and keep going!  Over time, we learn to  overcome distraction, overwhelm and fear; our focus is on the deeper resources inside that help us enjoy life as we accomplish goals, even in the midst of the struggle…. because the struggle after all is meant to make us stronger, which leads us to….

3. Practice emotional cleansing everyday
Simple or advanced, emotional clearing techniques are essential; consistently using the ABCs of Intuition (Aware, Breathe, Connect) puts you back in charge…. awareness of what’s going on, breathing to release limitation, the old story, with it’s knee-jerk reactions,  etc., removes huge internal limitations. The more aware we are that resistance is natural and normal, it naturally dissolves to reveal the gems beneath it. Which brings us to the next key step to connect to those hidden gems and use them…..

4. Inner Contemplation
Ask how the person you wish to become would handle the struggle – a wonderful, dynamic panorama of ideas will appear on your mental screen… you’ll feel the options and possibilities in your body. Once you’ve done that, go into stillness to simply be.  The power of this step is getting you out of the mind trying to figure things out, and into an EXPERIENCE.   The power of stillness is huge! It’s what taps us into the subconscious  mind where solutions we weren’t able to access previously, are available. Insights may come immediately or later in the day, but guaranteed, through this process more insights, empowerment, confidence and the power to manage thinking does come, which takes us to the next important step…..

5. Take inspired action
Baby steps or massive action, from this place of inspiration, you’ll “know” the right thing to do. Self confidence blossoms, new energy appears and a sense of peace that comes from the underlying truth that all “really is well in my world,” emerges, which naturally creates the next step of….

6. Gratitude
The benefits that couldn’t possible have existed without the struggle are revealed; again it may happen immediately or later, but in the proven work of Napoleon Hill and other great thinkers, there is always “the seed of equal or greater benefit” in all hardship. This is the eternal truth of life’s promise… the question is, do we actually believe it?

These 6 Power Tips use the positive side of resistance… the negative side is refusing to consider that a positive side to struggle could possibly exist. This is aversion, and as Steven Cope warned in “The Great Work of Your Life”, aversion affects our capacity to see clearly and has severe consequences:

• When we are hating something, we do not tend to see it clearly.
• We see the object of our hatred as all bad-not a mixture of bad and good and neutral as it really is.
• And finally and probably most painfully aversive states are separation states, from myself and from others.
• I hate this moment. Get me out of this moment. I do not want it to be like this.
• Aversion is a seat in hell.  It separates us from now.
• When the mind is colored by aversion we can never be at ease-can never have a moment’s peace

Struggle then, takes on a whole new meaning – it’s the aversion to struggle that creates the problem, that evades peace. We either believe that struggle can make us stronger or we don’t. We either embrace its blessings and possibilities or refuse to change our viewpoint. We either invite the promise of guaranteed  magnificence or slip into life as a doomed painful ordeal. Struggle forces us to think, it can break our hearts and bring us to our knees, but it will never, ever leave us abandoned… we do that. The call to action then is from this moment forward, to embrace struggle for the benefits it brings… NOW!

Cheryl Ann Brewster is highly regarded in her skills as a Business Intuitive, Transformation Coach and Speaker. She specializes in supporting  those  keen to expand personal and professional effectiveness through the power of intuition and soul-centred business practices. To join her mailing list and/or daily inspiration  or to learn more, contact her at: TheIntuitiveLife.com.

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