All of us will experience change, uncertainty, trauma, challenges, difficulties, life will throw us curve balls and in these moments we have choices and it is recognising and trusting ourselves that supports us at this time.

We can choose to grow through what we go through, I know for me some of the most difficult times in my life have allowed me, through my choices to become more of the person I want to be. The challenges have supported me in stripping away all that no longer serves me, the pain has encouraged me to go within, reflect.

Life is a journey and that journey is up to us, how we choose to travel, where, with whom, which route, what speed and what we take with us. You always have choices, you can always choose differently, in order to do that it is important to be aware of what it is you are going through, to be present as opposed to be distracted.

Think about;

What do you think the difficult times in your life have taught you?

How have those times shaped you?

What would you tell the you that went through those difficult times?

How would you want to shape this you moving forward?

Do you trust yourself to get through the hard times?

What choices have led you to this you today? Do you want to move on from this you? how?

When we can really sit with our pain, the challenges, the change and not distract ourselves, when we are able to acknowledge – this hurts and its not ok, but I am ok with it not being ok, then we give ourselves the space to work with through all that is happening. However most of us are taught from a young age, to distort, to distract or to deny the difficult feelings as they are perceived as negative, we are not shown how to acknowledge or too honour. Not being ok with difficult times, with pain is where our addictions or bad habits start, we busy ourselves so as not to feel, be it shopping, drinking, binge watching, we occupy ourselves through the pain, we numb ourselves and limit our choices.

Life will feel overwhelming, there will be dark times, we will feel lost, loss, pain, sadness, the unknown, the fear will be a part of our journey, just like the weather, we will know rain, thunder and snow, if we can learn to be with those times, those emotions, we can choose growth.

What do you need to support you through the hard times?

What would you like the challenges to allow you to become?

How would you want to grow through?

Who could you share with to make these times feel different?

GROW into your best self whatever detours you take through life!