Thoughts Behind: Struggles
Life is a struggle, but it is what we relate to the word “struggle” that brings either happiness or misery. A recent phenomenon that proves perspective matters individually is the question “Is this dress white and gold or blue and black?” From person to person, the divide was usually split evenly, 50-50. The question relies upon one issue that differs between everyone, perspective. We can say that struggle has a negative connotation, sure. But what if it doesn’t to everyone else? It’s a word that has no definite tone or belief for every person. You can view “struggle” as something negative, but you can also make “struggle” a resilient word that is shaped solely by how you would like to see it. Life is a struggle, but does that necessarily mean that life is hard? Life is a struggle, but a struggle that we have to persevere to solve. Life is a struggle but those struggles make us who we are.
Olympic athletes train nearly daily to compete for their country in a sport they have dedicated most of their lives and time to. They struggle every day to make themselves better, to keep them competitive. The dedication and discipline required to simply be athletes of their level takes immense energy and, above all, struggle. They could view their struggle as simply a thing they have to get through to compete, they can view it as something blocking their paths to their future. But isn’t to view these activities, which many spend their entire lives doing, as nothing but an unwanted task making their lives difficult? Wouldn’t viewing their lives with passion make it worth the struggle? Life itself is a struggle, but it is how we view these struggles and events that make our view of life. If you are going to view your entire life as nothing more than hardships and “must-dos” instead of with passion and perseverance your perspective will always be looking down. Life is a struggle, but those struggles and how we view them are how we will view them our entire lives.
Historically, life remains a struggle in our pasts as well. Franklin D. Roosevelt, having been stricken with polio, was restricted to a wheelchair before becoming president. His struggles, he decided, didn’t limit him. Despite not being able to stand on his own, he ran and served as president during one of the most challenging times in American history. He led a country to stability, despite what others – or himself – may have seen his struggle as. A struggle does not automatically have a negative connotation, except when deemed by the person experiencing it. Roosevelt faced adversity and struggle, but that struggle defines who we are in our ability to face and accept it. Our ability to overcome adversity and become ourselves defines how we view both ourselves and life.
