Life Is Hard: Learn to Love and Care for Yourself Through Challenges

“To be fully alive, fully human, and completely awake is to be continually thrown out of the nest. To live fully is to be always in no-man's-land, to experience each moment as completely new and fresh. To live is to be willing to die over and over again. ”
— Pema Chödrön, author and ordained Buddhist nun in the Vajrayana tradition

Life is hard. At some point, we all experience things that are challenging, times that push us to our edges and experiences that we wish we didn’t have to go through. I’m touched by the hard things that we all navigate and grateful for the trust you have in me when you share your hardships with me. I’ve been reflecting back on hard seasons of my own life and what those times gave me, in spite or perhaps because of their challenges.

I think that so much of life’s beauty can be found by learning to love ourselves and care for ourselves through these challenges. And while there is lots of advice out there, I hope you give yourself permission to take what you like and what resonates with you and leave the rest. Going through a period of challenge can be lonely. As a society, we aren’t good with sitting with what’s uncomfortable, which can make it feel even harder if you aren’t moving through your hardships “fast enough” for those around you. Sometimes the people who you thought would support you don’t (or can’t) and you can feel like you are braving the storm alone. There isn’t a set timeline and it’s important to honor your needs and not listen to the (mostly well meaning) advice that may be offered.

I think we all can benefit from support, especially when life is rough. Do you need support? Can you ask for support and have that ask be honored? You might find support in a different place than where you anticipated it, but finding the right support can really help.

Are you taking care of yourself? It can seem so basic, but ensuring that you are sleeping, eating well and moving your body are foundations of health that help us all the time. These foundations can be something to lean on when things feel harder than normal.

Our experiences shape us and leave an impact on who we are. Moments eb and flow and never stay the same. Be gentle with yourself as you navigate challenges and reach out if you need support.