Do you struggle with struggling?
Recently, I discovered that I suffer from this strange condition - i.e., struggle with struggling.
It's a strange conundrum, I know.
How can one struggle with struggling?
Doesn't struggling already implies hardship? Since something is already difficult. How can you else experience pain except for the pain that's already involved with the hard task?
Well, it turns out that you can. You can struggle with struggling.
- You can struggle with struggling by not admitting that something is difficult.
- You can struggle with struggling by not asking for help.
- You can struggle with struggling by working yourself to the bone which can lead to you giving up entirely on a particular project.
To give you an even better idea. Here's a recent personal example:
A couple of months ago, I was sick. I had a high fever for a couple of days straight accompanied by а cough, chess pain, and all sorts of other "beautiful" things. My wife tried to convince me to go to the doctor but I proudly rejected her offer.
I was stubborn.
I believed that my self-prescribed therapy will be enough for me to get out of this state.
However, the more I resisted help. The more I struggled alone with the struggle of being sick. The worst it got.
Eventually, my cold turned into bronchopneumonia which - thankfully - I was able to cure with antibiotics supplemented with a whole bag of other drugs. Meaning, I didn't have to be admitted to the hospital for treatment. And yes, I did go to the doctor. But I visited the doctor only when I admitted to myself that I do really needed help. When I accepted the fact that I can't self-resolve this struggle.
What I'm trying to illustrate here is that we all struggle. We struggle with different things at different levels.
But a lot of times, sadly. We try to hide it.
"Oh, it's OK..."
"I'm doing fine. Don't worry about me..."
"Everything is awesome!"
We say these things almost on autopilot. Never admitting how hard it is to do - or keep doing - something, or admitting that we do really need help.
But exactly admitting that something is hard is the first step towards making it less hard.
Think about it. When you ask someone for help. It's no longer only you trying to solve everything. You are now together. Now there is another set of hands helping out.
It's no longer you planning the project or thinking about all the details. There is extra brain power providing alternative views which moves the project going.
And in my case when I was sick... I was no longer alone trying to cure myself. There was a professional looking at my condition and giving me expert advice.
So, this might seem like a strange-sounding question but surely one you should ask yourself:
What do you struggle with? And, do you struggle with struggling?
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