Challenge

Challenge. It may be defined as a demanding or stimulating situation that tests someone's abilities. It offers people the opportunity to find deeper powers within themselves and to discover things about themselves that they never really knew; they are what force us to go beyond the norm. But, ‘life’s challenges are not supposed to paralyze you; they’re supposed to help you discover who you are,’ Bernice Johnson Regan.

Everyone understands the benefits of being challenged and most of us recognize that we need it in order to become better in the long term, but what no one mentions is how difficult it is on a daily basis, to be constantly pushed to be better than you were yesterday. It is uncomfortable. As health professionals we do it everyday, demanding more from our customers than their perceived best, but when is it enough?

Never. People challenge you because they care; they see your potential and want to help you reach it. They believe in you. If you let them down you are letting yourself down, because they demand no less than your best. And even if you can’t appreciate it right now, they genuinely want to see you succeed.

Work hard to not let these people down. Be glad that they see something worth challenging. And don't let the challenges paralyze you; use them to discover who you are.