Why There Is Strength In The Struggles That We Face.

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I believe that a good majority of people in this world have a difficult time coping properly when we find ourselves in stressful situations. Now I'm in no way implying that this applies to everyone, nor am I attempting to slight or demean anyone that this may apply to. Even I myself can attest to the fact that I don't always manage stressful situations in my own life the best. Thinking of this begs the question; Why is it that so many of us struggle with maintaining a positive outlook on life when we're facing difficult circumstances? This is one of those questions that isn't an easy one to answer, but I think much of it could likely be attributed to how the society we live in views the idea of struggle. The idea of struggle is one that isn't deemed as being a good thing. Many of us have been conditioned to think and believe that we can only be happy and content in life as long as things are going good or moderately well for us. Because of how many of us are raised and brought up in this society that we live in, true struggles and hardships are far in between the good times we experience. Now people on the other side of the coin that may not be as fortunate as others will likely think and feel differently. People that are accustomed to facing hardships in their lives likely find a way to embrace their struggles. These are people that while they may not enjoy the idea of facing struggles, they know that they're a part of life and learn from them. Now I believe that most of us can admit that challenging times in our lives is something we'd rather not face. However, as with nearly everything in this life, there are pros and cons that come with our struggles. There is also a degree of strength that is available for the taking in the struggles that we face.

What's going on everyone? Brad H. here, and I'd like to welcome you all once again to another installment of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'! I am back for another week to hopefully bring a topic that can serve as some inspiration to us all. Before we get into it, I'd like to thank you all for stopping by. In the last post that I covered, I talked about the NBA playoffs as they were just getting underway. The second round is officially underway right now as the Toronto Raptors and Philadelphia 76ers are currently playing right now. Later on tonight, we have the last game of the first round going down between the San Antonio Spurs and Denver Nuggets. This has been a stressful series as most of you probably are aware that I'm a Spurs fan. Now I originally predicted the Nuggets to win the series, but the Spurs have really fought and showed a lot of heart during the series. I do believe they squandered an opportunity to win the series in two out of the three games they lost. I'm really hoping that they're able to pull this victory off tonight in Denver. I really believe they can do it despite being on the road and having the odds against them. The playoffs in and of itself has been okay overall thus far. The Oklahoma City Thunder were a huge disappointment in my opinion. The same could probably be said about the Golden State Warriors in the game where they blew a 31 point lead, but at least they did close out their series against the Los Angeles Clippers. That Warriors and Houston Rockets series should be a good one. Can't wait for that one to start. The Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics should be a good series as well. Now that the weaker teams have been weeded out of the playoffs, we should see some more competitive series. I know all you basketball fans out there are ready to see what happens next just like I am. Well that is enough NBA talk, so lets go ahead and talk about the topic of why there is strength in the struggles that we face.

Now I can understand how it can be hard for some people to comprehend how something positive can be gained from struggles. I mean if we could have things our own way and choose whether to live a hard or easy life, the majority of us would choose to never have any struggles right? The enduring of struggles is something that we'd rather not have to face right? If you think of a natural disaster such as a tornado or a hurricane, it's hard to imagine how something good can come from those things right? I understand that a natural disaster isn't the same as many of the struggles we endure, however, a struggle is a struggle right? I mentioned earlier that there are both pros and cons that come along with the struggles that we face. Since a good majority of us see our struggles as something that isn't good; understandably so, it is hard to be able to see any pros being taken away from them. This especially applies when we're right in the thick of something that is testing us. I can think of something that I'm sure that many of us can relate to at sometime or another, and it is something that some of us may be experiencing currently. What am I referring to? Yes, that is right, money issues. If you're in a scenario where you're struggle financially, it is often hard to see a way out of it, especially if it is an issue that has been going on for awhile. By now, most of us already know that the trying situations and circumstances that we find ourselves in will end eventually. However, once again, it is difficult to be able to see that when you're right in the heart of the "storm". For many of us that are facing struggles, it often can feel as if they're never going to end. However, there is at least one good thing that can be taken away from them.

Before I get into why there is strength in most of the struggles that we face, I want to set it up by referencing to a quote by David Goggins. For those of you that may not be aware of who David Goggins is, he is a former Navy Seal and ultra marathon runner. I first became aware of him a couple of years back when I came across a podcast that he was featured on at the time. He made quite the impression on me, but he brought up something that has stuck in my mind since I heard him say it. He said the following: "You have to build calluses on your brain just like how you build calluses on your hands. Callus your mind through pain and suffering." Now I believe this to be a pretty straightforward statement, but I can also see how it could be confusing to some. I believe what Goggins is saying with this statement is that the struggles that we endure in our lives are what build those calluses that he refers to. People that partake in work that involves using their hands will often develop calluses on them, and through the process of repeatedly doing whatever type of work that involves using those hands will callus them to the point where the hands become more rugged. One of the more popular activities that can lead to calluses on the hands is weight lifting. The bars that we use to lift the weights with can create calluses, but the good thing that can come from that is that your hands become stronger. Now I know most people won't view an activity such as lifting weights as a struggle, but the theme is that going through or partaking in something that isn't easy can be beneficial to your life; even when it may not feel like it is.

So why is there strength in the struggles that we face? Well from my perspective, the struggles that we face in our lives can be helpful towards us build the strength and fortitude to be able to face potentially obstacles that may be coming our way. Just like David Goggins likened the callusing of the mind, the struggles in our lives can develop those calluses that harden us to future issues. This is why I believe there is strength to be found in the struggles we face. Now with all of that being said, I want to make sure and point out that just because we do indeed face struggles in our lives, there isn't any guarantees that there will be strength taken away from them. We can't be the type of people that just sit back during tough times and say that this is strengthening me to face the future. Not only do we have to do the necessary work that is required to overcome our problems, we have to have an open willingness to the prospect of seeing strength in our struggles. I believe this means that we can't be people that wallow in our problems. Besides the necessary effort that is required to get through struggles, there has to be a belief that they won't last forever. There also has to be a belief in ourselves that we're strong enough to overcome whatever difficulties we're facing. We have to remember that there are often blessings that can be found in the worst of storms. So for every struggle that we're bound to deal with in the future, remember that if you're open to being willing to callus your mind and see the positive that can be taken from your struggles, a belief that we can tackle whatever the future holds is the greatest strength that can be gained from them.

That is pretty much all I'm going to say in regards to this topic, so it is time for me to go ahead and sign off for this go around. As always, this has been Brad H. bringing you all another installment of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'! I hope that there was some understanding that could be taken away from this topic. I also hope that it has been helpful and inspirational to others as well. I'd like to thank you all once again for stopping by, and feel free to leave any feedback if your heart so desires. Those of you on Twitter can also connect with me on there at the handle @BradrickH. Well I'm going to enjoy the basketball games today, so I'll catch you all later. I hope you all have a great weekend, and a positive week ahead. See you all in the next one! Peace!

©2019 Bradrick H. All Rights Reserved.

The Importance Of Doing A "Checkup" On The People In Your Life.

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Checkup: What exactly is a checkup? The official definition of a checkup is defined as a "thorough examination". The word "checkup" it and of itself can apply to a wide array of things. If you happen to own a computer, a vehicle or any type of electronic device, then there is a likelihood that these things have diagnosed themselves via a checkup. If something happened to be wrong with your computer for example, the checkup that it gives itself will let you know that something is off. This same kind of logic applies when it comes to both our physical and mental health. The vast majority of us know the importance of getting a checkup when it comes to our health. A medical checkup is what can potentially warn us of possible health related problems that we could face in the future. The bottom line is that a checkup in the grand scheme of life is something that is necessary to keep ourselves healthy. Now I mentioned that a checkup can apply to a wide array of things. In certain aspects of life, a checkup can probably be done on nearly anything that has some form of bearing in our lives. I already brought up how a physical checkup is important for both our physical and mental well-being, but there is a large aspect of health that many people fail draw attention to, which is other people. I personally believe that many of us underestimate how the people in our lives can have on our health from a both a physical and emotional standpoint. For that reason, one of the most important types of checkup that many of us happen to neglect is the checkup of the people that we have in our lives. I believe this to be vitally important, and I think it is something that we should engage in more often.

Hey, what's up everyone? Y'all already know who it is and what time it is! However, just in case you don't, this is Brad H. coming back at you all once again with another installment of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'! I'm back in the mix once again to give my personal perspective on a topic that I've been pondering on as of late. My hope is that the topic that I address is something that will serve as a bit of inspiration for us all to keep on moving forward. So now is the section where I talk about something besides the topic for this week. All you NBA fans out there already know what time it is! IT'S PLAYOFF TIME BABY! Yes indeed the NBA playoffs kick off later on today, and ya boy is pretty excited. I don't have a lot of time to run down the entire playoffs, but I'm going to give some quick predictions on the series taking place in the first round. So 1 and 8 in the Western Conference is the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers. I see a Warriors sweep in that one. 2 and 7 is the Denver Nuggets and my San Antonio Spurs. I think the Spurs win two games, but I see Denver taking the series. Of course I hope I'm wrong about that. Three and 6 is the Portland Trailblazers and Oklahoma City Thunder. I think this is a bit of a toss up, but I'll go with OKC due to Portland losing Jusef Nurkic. Four and 5 is the Houston Rockets and Utah Jazz. I think the Rockets win this one. Onto the Eastern Conference where 1 and 8 is the Milwaukee Bucks and Detroit Pistons. I think the Bucks sweep this one. Two and 7 is the Toronto Raptors and the Orlando Magic. I think the Magic maybe wins one game, but Toronto takes the series. The 3 and 6 matchup between the Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets is going to be interesting. I think Philly wins, but much of this is contingent upon how healthy their star center Joel Embiid is. Should be a good series though. Four and 5 features the Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers. I think Boston wins fairly easy. The Pacers losing Victor Oladipo to injury seriously weakened them. So those are my predictions for the first round. I wish I had more time to go more in depth, but this isn't a sports blog. I hope you all enjoy the playoffs though. It is definitely an exciting time of the year for us sports fans. Alright, it is now time to dive into this week's topic of the importance of doing regular checkups on the people in your life.

Now when it comes to having a medical checkup done, we all know that a physician runs a series of tests to make sure that we're good and healthy. What exactly does it entail when doing a checkup on the people in our lives? This is something that is subjective, and could be left for interpretation for whomever is doing the checking. However, from a generalized standpoint, I personally think that doing a checkup on the people in your life means evaluating what kind of impact their having on your life. I'm of the belief that many of us have people that we've had in our lives for so long that whether for good or bad, we just kind of grow accustomed to their habits and behaviors. I also believe that if you've become accustomed to the behaviors of others, you probably feel that you have no desire or need to do a checkup on people. I'll give you an example of what I'm attempting to reference to. Now I mentioned that both good and bad can be applied when it comes to being accustomed to the habits and behaviors of others. However, for the example that I'm going to give, I'm going to refer to something that is considered bad. Now picture two people that have been married for many years, and there has been some form of emotional abuse that has been going on for a long time in that marriage. While many people wouldn't tolerate this form of abuse from anyone, there are some people out there that would stay in that marriage because the emotional abuse has become natural to them to the point where they feel it is okay to accept it. Now I'm in no way saying that everyone would tolerate this, but we all have seen instances where people have tolerated things that where beneath them. That is just one example, but I'm trying to set up a picture of how easy it can be to become complacent with the behaviors of others.

Now why it is of importance to perform regular checkups on the people in our lives? Before I go into detail on the reasons why we should be doing this, I want to relate it to something powerful that I heard someone say on Youtube several months ago. This is also something that I may have brought up in a previous topic, but I'm not entirely sure at the moment. I'll have to go back in the archives and look, but what the person on Youtube that I'm referencing to said was the following; "The people in your life are either lifting you up or bringing you down; there is no in between." Now this statement is pretty simple and straightforward right? It is also something that most of us are aware of as well right? If it is indeed the case, then why is it that we tolerate those that are bringing us down in our lives? Why does it seem as if most of us do not appreciate and celebrate the ones that are uplifting us to become better people? I believe that because we are flawed individuals that have varying degrees of moods and emotions, we find it justifiable to tolerate what could be considered "in between". So basically if you have someone in your life that equally lifts you up, but also equally brings you down, then it balances itself out to the point where it is tolerable. Now while I do agree that we're all flawed beings, that doesn't mean that it is okay to be content with being in the middle of good and bad. Now as I have stated already, many of us become accustomed to how the people we're close to treat us that we just accept it. This is exactly why it is of importance to do regular exams on the people that you have in your life. Being associated with or having a history with someone doesn't justify tolerating them when they're not adding to your life. If a regular checkup is being done on these people, it becomes more easier to discern who is bring you up and who is bringing you down.

So we've established why it is important to have regular checkups on the people in our lives right? So how exactly do we perform these checkups that this topic is all about? From my perspective, the straightforward answer is to just evaluate how the people in your life make you feel when you are around them. Do these bring you joy and happiness on a consistent basis, or do you find that your spirits get lower when they come around? Are they encouraging you to become a better person, or are they beating you down on a regular routine? These are the kind of questions we have to ask ourselves when we're performing these checkups. Upon asking and answering these questions when it comes to those that you're closest to, you have to be able to make a decision on whether or not that is a person that needs to be in your life. Remember what I mentioned earlier about what the guy in the Youtube video stated, there is no in between. Now I do realize that there are some people such as family that you may not be able to totally boot out of your life, but if any of what I have brought up applies to them, we have to be willing to handle them with a very long handled spoon. Finally, I want to end this topic by saying that while I used a medical checkup as a comparison for this topic, the emotional and mental affect that people can have on our lives can become something physical. I'm one of those people that believes that how we allow people to treat us can trigger our bodies into various illnesses. We all know that something like stress can be the onset of developing high blood pressure and other potentially dangerous sicknesses. Just be aware of the people you deal with, because they can definitely play a role in all areas of your health.

With all of that being said, I believe that I have gotten the point that I tried to make across. This has once again been your guy Brad H. bringing you all another installment of 'Brad H.'s Perspective'! As always, I hope that I was able to convey this topic in a way that was both meaningful and understandable. I hope that everyone that read this can also relate to it, and if so, then I hope you're able to apply it to your own life. I'd like to thank everyone once again that came through, and feel free to leave feedback in the comment section if you so desire to do so. If you're on Twitter and you'd like to connect with me, you can find me at the handle @BradrickH. Well I'll see you all in the next topic, and for those of you that are NBA fans, enjoy the playoffs. They should be a lot of fun this year. Have a great weekend folks, and an even greater upcoming week! Peace!

©2019 Bradrick H. All Rights Reserved.