We all experience challenges now and again. It’s a part of life.

I used to expend much energy trying to avoid challenges because to me it just meant more difficulty. With difficulty, pain undoubtedly followed with misery tagging along. I didn’t want misery … so avoid challenges. It made sense to me.

The interesting thing was as I avoided challenges that came my way, I experienced pain continually, life was difficult and I was very miserable. Avoidance didn’t work.

It took a while, but finally I realized the problem wasn’t in the challenge, but in my response to it. As I shifted my focus and faced challenges as they came, I discovered more of my own character and those areas I needed to improve upon.

I heard the author, Jerry Jenkins, say one time that who we are depends only 5% on what we experience, but 95% on how we respond to it. That really stuck with me. It’s true! All of us encounter trials, strain, stress, and change. However, we each respond differently.

I think as parents, the profound piece in our responses is our children watch and learn by our reactions to difficulty. What kind of example are we to our children?

Rather than be consumed by the 5% we don’t want to experience, let’s focus on the 95%. After all, that is what truly matters!

Life’s challenges are not supposed to paralyze you, they’re supposed to help you discover who you are. –Bernice Johnson Reagon