Some challenges are surmountable while some are not.
But, a challenge is a challenge and requires one to buckle up, strengthen their spirit and meet the challenge head on and knock the wind out of it.
So, what is an insurmountable challenge then and how do you overcome it?
The second part is easy to answer – you don’t meet it head on, but simply sidestep it by throwing a googly at it.
Coming to the first part of the question – what is an insurmountable challenge? It is different for each person depending upon the circumstances at that point in time.
An example: a five-foot something wanting to play in her school basketball team. And by play, I mean actually play in the game and not act as a reserve. And what happened when she decided to accept the challenge? She ended up becoming a state level player.
So, how did I (yes, I am the five-foot something – actually am 5’2”, but anything below a 5’6” falls in the same category, so getting back to the story…) manage to beat the odds?
I had a 3-step formula.
1. Acceptance : I duly accepted my limitations and evaluated my strengths. I then devised a plan to overcome the former using the latter.
2. The audacity of belief : I imagined myself doing it, despite a clear lack of circumstantial evidence. This was fueled by the joy in playing the sport and my desire to make it to the team.
3. Hard work : This is the toughest part – I had to follow a vigorous training schedule and make sure to attend all the coaching sessions and give my best in each. As I trained, I kept getting better and my height was no longer a blocker, it was merely a number that didn’t matter.
And overcoming challenges are pleasurable in ways more than one – you achieve the goal which makes you happy, this then boosts your confidence and you take up new challenges with a higher degree of enthusiasm which translates into more achievements.