“Life is about  
accepting the  
challenges  
along the way.”  
Roy T. Bennett

Three challenges: (1) to let go, (2) to be grateful, and (3) to be open to what’s coming next. The promise of accepting these challenges is that we will “be happy and content.” Sounds like a pretty good deal, right? Let’s take a quick look at each one.

To let go of what? Well,… let’s begin with negative experiences of our past which we continue to carry with us today. It may be getting cut from an athletic team in high school, or, perhaps, a heartbreaking loss in an athletic competition. It may be a relationship which, despite our bests effort, didn’t work out. It could be something someone said to us or did to us — something which we believe to be unforgivable. 

We might also have a need to let go of some of the positive experiences of our lives, not allowing them to define who we are today. Holding onto past glories, identifying ourselves by who we once were or what we once accomplished, can limit our ability to be who we are today.  

Why would it be a challenge to be grateful? The reason is simple. It seems to be a human trait to take what we have for granted. Many of us have been blessed with things in our lives which were not of our doing. They were pure gifts. Despite this, we have a tendency to look at the lives and possessions of others with envy, always wanting more than what we have. To be grateful for what we have, rather feeling deprived because of those things we do not have, can be a challenge for many of us.

Finally, why would anyone have a problem letting go of what’s coming next in their life? I think we can all agree that fear of the unknown is a reality with which we all struggle to some extent. Will I stay healthy in my old age? Will there be significant disappointments with which I will have to cope down the road? Do I even have a “down the road” or will my end come sooner than expected? These are all questions which can cause us to experience varying levels of fear and anxiety. 

While these challenges might seem overwhelming at times, the payoff — “to be happy and content” — should be sufficient to consider accepting them with enthusiasm.