Why You Must Always Challenge Yourself

“Tough times never last, but tough people do.”---Robert H. Schuller

Helen Keller found herself deaf, dumb and blind shortly after birth. These handicaps would have rendered many people completely useless for life but not Helen Keller. Today her story features prominently in human motivational seminars all over the world. Even with all her misfortunes, she still managed to leave her foot-prints in the sands of time. She learned to and became a successful writer. She wrote so well as to inscribe her name indelibly in the pages of history. Her life serves as evidence that “men and women are never defeated until they accept defeat in their own minds.” It is further proof that “there are no limitations to the mind except those we acknowledge.”  Ms Keller accepted her fate, challenged herself and became rich and famous. Our God is a just God. There is nothing he does without a purpose. He never makes mistakes as we humans do. If God takes anything away from you, He almost always replaces it with something better. Get close to blind people. Their senses of smell and touch are by far better than those with sight. If God takes away your legs, don’t despair. He will strengthen your hands as compensation. If he takes away your hands, he will strengthen your legs as compensation.

Ever heard of John Foppe? At some stage, he traveled to many cities of the world making motivational speeches. He became one of the highest-paid Motivational Speakers in the United States. Yet, he was born without arms. He shaved his beard, drove his car, cooked, wrote and did nearly everything you and I can do all with his legs. Amazing you’ll say but pause and reflect a while. Do you know that there are many people with arms and legs who still can’t make a living? These are people who have refused or neglected to challenge themselves.

Life is full of challenges. Everyone faces his or her own lot according to his or her own portion. The way you face your own challenges is what determines your success or failure. Life favors only those who are able to stay focused and determined even when the going gets tough. And, it sure gets tough sooner than later. Problems are not peculiar to you alone. All of us have our own share of problems. All my life, I have not come across anyone who is free from problems. At any point in time in your life, you are either thinking of a problem or solving a problem. Confronting and overcoming problems therefore is what life is all about. From this type of scenario, it appears that our problems are destined to come to an end only when we die. But, and this is a big “but”, no one has absolute proof about that. Even the dead may have their own problems. Who knows? However, the good news is, since you are reading this article, you are not yet dead. You can therefore face your own challenges squarely as many others have done and are still doing.