Challenges of life.

Challenges in life are like armpits: everyone has them and sometimes they stink.  I guess that could be an oversimplification of what life is like for most of us.  I know my challenges currently are like the armpits of a 300 lbs man who just ran a half marathon. 
Yeah, they kind of stink.  I know other who are dealing with challenges that would make mine smell like the lavender fields that produce all the essential oils so many have come to know and love.  Some of them are simple such as my son currently playing a game with my wife and trying to convince us of the rules without having the actual rules to refer to.  Needless to say, we all have challenges.  But why? 

I propose the question we should be asking is not why because all too often we may not know the

answer or just may not want to know the answer.  Plus, does it really make a difference if we know the why?  Our challenges are still there and don't magically disappear into the netherworld just because we understand the reasons behind them.  Does it make it a little easier to bear sometimes?  Sure, I will have to grant that.  Having some knowledge helps to ease the burden at times.  Does that make the challenges go away?  Not in my experience.  So if finding out why we have the challenges we do doesn't help and make them go away, what is the question we should be asking? 

I believe the question we need to ask is "What?"  What do I do with this challenge?  What do I need to learn from this?  What, if anything, can I do to help ease the burden?  What, if anything, did I do to bring this to pass and can I change anything now?  What direction do I need to go?

These are questions that encourage some sort of action be taken.  They can motivate us to move forward in a direction we may not have considered in the past that now seems open to us.  It can give us the power of choice in how we react to the challenges we face.  I believe this is why there are people who are faced with incredible challenges that just seem to take them in stride and move forward while there are others that appear to face some very simple challenges and fall apart.

I believe with the support of good people around us and with being able to look at ourselves with complete and open honesty, asking ourselves "what?" is the key to improving our lives and moving forward.  Maybe if we can do that, then our challenges will only stink like a 150 lbs man running a 100 yard dash.