The Challenge is the Way

The challenge is the way. Lets unpack this statement and explore the way we can make quick shifts in our mindset to set us up for success – even in the moments that really challenge us to dig deep!

The first time I watched my husband step into a boxing ring I felt physically sick. He wasn’t my husband at the time – we were not even living together in Geelong yet. I was still in that part of the relationship where literally everything is new and intriguing and exciting. Every new experience with Steve gave me an opportunity to find out more about who he was.
Steve had taken a boxing fight on short notice, & we were flown to Brisbane that same week.

As we were driven to the venue that night, I remember falling silent in the van. The enormity of what was about to happen really hit my hard. I would be watching this man that I loved, step into a ring and put his body on show. There would be someone trying to knock him unconscious. There would be a crowd watching and bright lights exposing every move. There was no turning back – this was about to happen.
Steve was cool as a cucumber next to me. As a professional fighter, this circumstance wasn’t unusual to him and to this day he continues to thrive under pressure.

I remember him squeezing my hand and asking me if I was alright as we pulled up to the venue. I nodded and smiled. I was lost for words. There were so many unknowns about to unfold. It could end really badly. I would have no control over the outcome. We had a might mountain in front of us. I watched Steve step out of that van in front of me. His chin raised, his posture strong and his eyes filled with adventure.

Ohhh, I thought to myself. Theres the difference. A champion rises to the challenge instead of being intimidated. A champion welcomes the moment and understands that greatness is actually on the other side.

So I took a deep breath & swiftly shifted my mind set.

Rather than focusing on what I couldn’t control, I decided to give 110% focus and energy to the moment we were in. It was an absolutely amazing night.

Steve wrapped his own hands for that fight. I held pads for his warm up. We were resourceful and resilient despite our lack of resources in Brisbane & my man fought like the true champion he is.

I knew from that night on that I would follow wherever he would go – that I could stand confidently beside him as no challenge would ever be too big for us.

Lets just be real, lately we haven’t had to look far to find a challenge. Right? Being a human, on this planet in 2020 is a challenge right now. But friends, I urge you to stay strong in the belief that everything is happening for us. Have you ever heard the saying – the challenge is the way?

Every challenge I have ever faced in my life has been absolutely essential to push me into the spaces and places I needed to be in order to have the life that I have right now.

We all have challenges. There is no person on this planet who isn’t living through a challenge in some area of their life. Life is about growth, evolution, stretching ourselves – these things don’t happen without us being challenged.

I consciously choose challenges for myself. Each week I curate moments that will push me to be resourceful and resilient. It could be in the gym. It could be in my business. It could be an uncomfortable conversation I have been putting off that I force myself to have.

By choosing challenges for myself I am flexing my resilience muscle. I am preparing myself for when unexpected challenges pop up & when they do, I back myself, I believe in myself, I remind myself that I am capable of facing any challenge and thriving under the pressure.

You guys can relate – its like training in the gym. Oh my god it can make you so sore when you first start out. But over time you realise that the challenge is part of the process of growth and if you are like me you hunt down those endorphins and you push yourself to be challenged in sessions because you know that its worth it.

Some of you are choosing challenges that don’t serve you in that way. Some of the things that you continue to allow in your life are what challenge you and stop you from growing. Its staying in the same circles, its telling yourself the same story that is soaking in your limiting beliefs, it’s the same excuses you cling to. Those challenges are keeping you small. You are creating challenges for yourself by not making decisions, by not facing your truth and by allowing yourself to keep parts of yourself in the dark.

At this point in my life, I know that unhappiness always rears its ugly head when I get complacent and I become stagnant in some area of my life. I am more afraid of staying the same than the challenges of changing.

At Geelong Boxing Club we know you encourage you to live your life by design. To hold a vision for who you are and what your life looks like that is so clear and so aligned with what truly matters to you – that you cant help but get up each morning feeling excited to get to be you and manifest the shit out of the magic you know is before you.

Once you hold that vision and you begin to grow, your challenges will present themselves. I want you to live a life that lights you up. I want you to have everything and every experience that is meant for you. To do that, you will have to have 100% conviction as you move towards your goals so that when challenges pop up you don’t back down and turn away back to what you already know – you feel ready, resilient and resourceful. You take those challenges in your stride and keep marching up your mountain.

We have a 10km running group that is going to begin on August 1^st. If you have never followed a running program before, I really, truly urge you to jump in with us. If you just told yourself ‘not for me – im not a runner’ ..then this is most definitely for you.

Over 10 weeks, following a running program you will come face to face with allll of your limiting beliefs, excuses, justifications and all the shit you have been trying to hide from yourself and the world.

On a scale of 1-10, over the course of your life, completing a running program is going to be a 1 in terms of complexity, intensity and difficulty. If a running program is the biggest challenge you are facing – consider yourself very lucky, right?

But heres the thing – we start with small challenges so that we can get better at facing bigger challenges.

When facing a challenge and you feel resistance, you feel yourself about to recoil, bail out, run away, or whatever it is you do when it all gets too much – simply ask yourself the question “What feels the most challenging right now”

Answering that question calls you forward. It requires you to not let your feelings run the show. It will let you see what is really going on.

As our running program progresses, the distances increase and many people panic that they wont be able to complete the set distance. All sorts of excuses begin to pop up.

Answering this question will help bring the truth to light.

What feels the most challenging right now?

I feel like its too cold to get out of bed. I just don’t know if I can do this and Im scared of failing, I hate the way that feels. Im tired.

Whatever it is

Then follow up with

Whats the logical solution?

What would it take to face this challenge? What would you need to feel more confident?

Basically you are going to work out – well what are my choices here?

Its too cold

I can either put my beanie on and an extra layer and know that Ill warm up soon – or I can run later in the day – or I can not run at all.

I don’t know if I can do the distance

I can try and walk when I have to and see what happens – or I can not run at all.

What are the outcomes of each choice?

Play each scenario to the end.

We might not get to choose every challenge but we certainly get to decide how we face them. Who we decide to be & what life experience we give ourselves as we work towards becoming more resilient and resourceful.

Embrace the challenges you find throughout your day. Learn a little about yourself and use that knowledge as a stepping stone to move towards a life that sees you stepping out into the world, with your head held high, ready to fully embrace the moment you are in.