Challenges in life: Why it is necessary

Challenges in life: Why it is necessary

We are all familiar with the quote, “A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor”. The meaning of the quote is that to be successful in life we should face challenges in life and gain strength by overcoming them. In life, there is no shortage of challenges, as life is always throwing troubles at us.

“Wouldn’t it be very wonderful if there were no challenges and hardships in life?”. If there is any wisdom in you, the answer should be: “NO!”.

It may sound absurd but, humans are wired to find enjoyment in a voluntary effort to overcome challenges. That’s one of the reasons why Football and Cricket are played and watched by the masses. Otherwise, the act of people chasing a ball in a field would seem irrational. Life would be pretty boring if we don’t have challenges to attend to.

Recall the movies you have watched and the novels you have read. It always starts with a protagonist leading a normal (boring) life. Some dramatic events occur-which are challenges. The rest of the story is about the protagonist’s transformation to overcome obstacles.

Do you recall any movie or story in which the protagonist’s character never underwent any transformation?

Our games and our stories are all about challenges and the transformative journey we undergo. Yet, we don’t wish for challenges to occur in our life. Nevertheless, we are bound to face them. What we should do is, be strong enough to overcome them. Most often challenge is a duality, it might accompany with it opportunity; which otherwise would not present itself.

“Life is about accepting the challenges along the way, choosing to keep moving forward, and savoring the journey.”
Roy T. Bennett