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Turn Stumbling Blocks Into Stepping Stones to Achievement
The nature and purpose of challenges and problems and their relationship to the achievement of our dreams and goals.
"The difference between stumbling blocks and stepping stones is in how you use them."
~Source Unknown~
We become creators and builders when we engage in the achievement of our goals. Challenges; when identified, are the blueprint, the materials and tools, all the things that we must know and balance, become proficient with and use in order to be able to achieve a particular goal.
How we perceive and interact with challenges as well as our sophistication in utilizing them determines whether they will become stumbling blocks or stepping stones to our success.
If we perceive challenges as obstacles, we tend to avoid, procrastinate dealing with, and unproductively worry over them. They in turn tend to become the obstacles and persistent annoyances we perceive them to be. If we continue to ignore them, they become problems. Problems aren't what they are with intention of making our lives miserable even though we may experience them as such. Challenges exist to guide us in recognizing the requirements of all aspects of securing our goal. They are designed to be supportive of us, not destructive.
"There is no such thing as a problem without a gift for you in its hands."
-Richard Bach, Illusions-
Problems are simply challenges that have grown louder, more persistent and emphatic. Liken it to a mother instructing her child as he runs out to play. She says, "You'll need a sweater." Seeing no response, she says more emphatically, "Take a sweater with you!" Still gaining no response and witnessing her child bolt out the door without a sweater, she shouts, "COME BACK HERE! YOU FORGOT YOUR SWEATER!" If the mother doesn't get the child's attention in time, he will face the problem of being cold and having to forfeit his goal of playing to return home. In the same manner challenges show us what we will need in order to achieve our goals. Problems are challenges that we missed, or chose to ignore the first few times.
This is certain, the challenges that you resist or miss today are guaranteed to be the problems you will have to face and deal with tomorrow, or sacrifice your aspirations for not. When we begin to perceive challenges as potential stepping stones to our destination, they become less stressful, and we accept, resolve and implement solutions for them just as we would enthusiastically accept and unwrap a gift.
A successful solution transforms stepping stones into solid building blocks. These building blocks become the foundation upon which our accomplishment is built. The strength of this foundation determines whether the accomplishment will stand strong or crumble.
If we study the most accomplished dream achievers we discover common patterns with regard to the challenges they faced, their attitudes regarding challenges, and their utilization of those challenges as stepping stones. Those stepping stones became the building blocks of their achievement. The support structure that enables them to retain and continue to augment their success. They achieved, not in spite of their challenges but rather because of them.
Achievers have learned to welcome challenges as generous friends bearing gifts rather than as pirates bent on stealing away with the dream.
"Every blade of grass has its angel that bends over it and whispers, grow, grow." ~ The Talmud~
The accomplished dream or goal achiever has grown to deeply appreciate challenges. They have come to understand that the continued development of the skills of defining challenges and then generating and implementing creative solutions, is more vital to the success of a dream than how knowledgeable they currently are, how many skills they have accumulated, or how much raw talent they possess. They understand that any additional knowledge, skills or self adjustments necessary in order to achieve their goal will be made apparent within the challenges they identify and define.
"Intellectuals solve problems, geniuses prevent them."
- Albert Einstein-
Accomplished achievers know that only challenges ignored become problems. They are aware that in solving their challenges and implementing solutions they will succeed in deleting a potential problem from their future. They are aware that in looking ahead for challenges and implementing solutions they will succeed in building any knowledge found inadequate to the goal they aspire to, the acquisition of any skill required that they do not currently possess, and the augmentation of a merely minimal talent into a stunning one.
For the sake of your success and fulfillment, it's wisdom to appreciate, identify and deal with challenges before they become problems or stumbling blocks obstructing your path to success. Utilize challenges instead as stepping stones and building blocks that support your achievement and continued success. And for heaven's sake, listen to your mother, take your sweater with you!
About the Author
Karen is a personal coach, teleclass leader, writer, accomplished dream achiever, and creative solution architect. Don't miss her teleclass, Pin the Solution on the Challenge. Discover how to transform stumbling blocks into stepping stones and become 'problem free'.
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