Overcoming Life's Challenges (Mo Money Mo Problems? Or Mo Money No Problems?)

Very recently I've been faced with a challenge that I never thought I would've had to face. I won't go into detail about it but it stems from lack of finances, which I'm sure many of us can relate to. And I'm sure we're all familiar with the song "Mo Money Mo Problems" by The Notorious B.I.G, right? Well he was lying his butt off...for the most part.

Of course we're always gonna be faced with issues moving forward but from personal experience, I've had at least 95% of my major issues when having insufficient funds. From my point of view, having money takes care of physical necessities which allows us more freedom to face our inner demons without distraction. Facing our inner demons without distraction is key to real growth & progression as a being. And if you're someone who doesn't face your inner demons then that's when "mo money mo problems" applies.

Money only amplifies who we are. So if you're someone who's been doing shadow work, who's growing and who's healing, then you'll be in a better position to handle having more money. But how you handle yourself when the money is running low is very telling as well. This is when a lot of people self destruct. I mean for real, it's a lot to handle, especially if you don't have as much support as you'd like. But what good does self destruction do? The answer to that is nothing good at all.

Self destructing when faced with tough challenges only puts us in a perpetually worse position because life goes on no matter what. For example, if you're walking barefoot on hot concrete on a scorching summer day, would you just stop and cry about it while your feet are burning? Or instead of burning your feet even more, would you hustle to the nearest cool spot so that you can rest & recover? That silly example is the same for all of our lives and the challenges we face.

When we're faced with tough challenges, the only things we should be thinking about is how to overcome them and what can we learn from them. After all, challenges & issues are here to teach us how to grow. And after overcoming the challenge is when we can release our emotions as needed. But let's focus on the part about overcoming for now.

Overcoming major challenges can be very difficult and tiring. It seems like they never stop. And honestly, there is no end to them. However, we can limit them so that we don't have to experience them so often. We can also limit the intensity of them as well. The amount of challenges we face has a direct correlation to the amount of lessons we still need to learn on our journeys and how quickly we're advancing.

We're all here for our own reasons but everyone has a mission/life purpose that we're working to fulfill whether we're conscious of it or not. Our purpose is embedded in our souls and the more we discover & learn ourselves, the more clear our purpose becomes. And the lessons we learn have everything to do with fulfilling our purpose. For example, one of my main life goals (which is in alignment with my purpose) is to play in the NBA. If that is what I'm going to do then I'll need to learn everything it takes to achieve that goal, right? Correct. I've been on the path of achieving this goal for many years now and a lot of the lessons I've had to learn were extremely tough. So tough that I even questioned if this is what I still want to do. But those moments are the ones that allow us to truly define ourselves.

Those 'make or break' moments are the ones that separate the real from the fake. These moments are the ones that really test us and show us what we're actually made of. And again, these moments are when we can fold or prevail. It's always a choice. Choosing to prevail by any means and no matter the circumstances is a brave and noble choice to make. It is also one of the highest acts of self love in the universe. Because despite everything you're faced with, despite how you feel in the moment, despite all the negative thoughts, despite what other people say, you still choose to do what is best for you. You still choose to move forward. You still choose to love yourself enough to stay dedicated to yourself and to your reason for living here on Earth. That is an extremely powerful act and it only proves to yourself that you can do it and that you're really about it.

Proving to yourself that you can & will do it is all that you need. Because once you have that knowing within yourself there's nothing anyone or anything can do to change it. This is true empowerment right here. At this point, once you have the mindset to overcome anything you're faced with, there is no doubt that you can do it. It's only a matter of how.

Figuring out the how is usually done internally. This is when maintaining control of emotions & being able to meditate are crucial. If emotions are not controlled then they will cloud our vision and make it more difficult to see the answer that is already within us. And seeing the answer within us is what meditation is for in these situations.

(Hint: meditation is a key tool in learning how to manage & control emotions.)

Emotions are energy in motion and if we don't know how to control & utilize them, then they will control us. Emotions are powerful, and when used properly they serve as fuel that propels us towards overcoming our challenges. Pair this with your why, or your reason for working to achieve your goal, and you have everything you need to overcome your challenges and achieve your goals.

For my situation, I am extremely angry and full of rage mixed with sadness. But understanding that I am not these emotions and that they are just the energy that I'm experiencing right now helps me utilize them in a positive way. I am able to separate myself from my emotions and see them as they are while understanding exactly why I'm experiencing them. I also percieve emotions as different entities/spirits that come to aid me on my journey. Because no matter what I've faced I've always come out better, stronger, smarter, and more wise. And if it weren't for my emotions then I would've missed out on the lessons I was supposed to learn.

It's like this, imagine if we didn't experience physical pain and didn't know what it was. Most of our bodies would be so beat up, bruised, and broken that we wouldn't function properly, if at all. This is because pain serves as a guide & reminder to treat our bodies well. Our emotions fulfill a very similar role for us.

Our emotions allow us to better navigate this reality that we're in so that we're ultimately able to live our best lives while being the best versions of ourselves. This is how I see my emotions and I love them. I respect them and I am grateful for them. The bad and the good. I am grateful for them all because they help me continually become better versions of myself. They are sacred and they are divine.

Therefore, when I feel anger, rage, and sadness, I instantly start thinking of how to best utilize them. They are energy that is charging my soul & spirit so that I may better achieve my goals. They flow throughout my entire being like water and all I have to do is be their guide. I just have to direct the energy into things that directly benefit myself & my situation. So that's what I am doing. Plain & simple.

It's all about maintaining control of myself and properly utilizing everything that I am and everything that I have.

We all have this ability too. Controlling our emotions is just a skill that anyone can learn. It's just like sports. Anyone can play and everyone can choose how good they become in the sport they play. It's the same thing. The more you practice being in control of your emotions, the better you will become. Allow yourself to be in full control and trust yourself.

Everything in life is a choice. The more control you have over yourself, the more you'll be able to create your ideal life. Every choice has its lessons & requirements but that's the fun part. Learning the lessons and achieving your goals as a result of what you learned is the fun part of the journey. Then you get to celebrate your accomplishments before setting out to achieve the next step on your journey.

In reality, it's all fun. The lessons, the achievement, the celebration... it's all fun in unique ways.

Learn to appreciate the entirety of your journey and you'll find that life will flow much more smoothly for you.

That's all I have for today but until next time...

Peace & nothing but love 💜