A Hard Truth

Have you ever thought to yourself, "Why is this happening to me?" or "Why is everything a struggle?" These are tough questions I’ve asked myself. Getting to the bottom of why I struggled or why everything felt so difficult was, well, difficult to do. It isn’t easy to search for the answers you seek. The path is filled with detours, distractions, and dead ends. To make this journey even harder, eventually, you’ll come face-to-face with your worst enemy.

You’ll fight and struggle to overcome this enemy, believing the lies whispered and reinforced by what you perceive around you. It will truly be your greatest battle. To be honest, most won’t have the courage or strength to continue the fight. They’ll give up, never finding the answers they seek, perpetuating the cycles of struggle and sorrow they’ve grown accustomed to. I get it—I’ve been on the battlefield. I understand how difficult this fight is, but I can tell you that it’s worth fighting.

Here’s the hard truth about it, though: before I tell you, I must warn you that you will most likely reject this truth. It isn’t an easy one to hear, but it’s necessary if you want to win this battle against cycles of struggle and difficulty. Your brain will whisper that it isn’t true and that there’s no way this is the answer you’ve been seeking. After all, how could it be? It seems absolutely impossible that the reason for all your struggles and difficulties is...

...you.

I know how confusing and painful this is to hear. It isn’t the answer you were expecting or wanting, but it’s the truth—a hard, difficult pill to swallow, but the truth nonetheless. You are why you struggle. You are the cause of all the suffering and pain you go through. You are the reason for everything you experience in life: the good, the bad, and everything in between. There’s no exception. You are the cause and effect, the action and reaction. You are your own worst enemy.

"How can it be, though? How can I be the reason for all my suffering and struggles? I didn’t ask for them or even want them." I rejected this truth at first, laying blame on others and the world around me, trying to find any other reason for all the pain and sorrow I’d gone through. No matter how many paths I wandered, trying to deny this truth, I always found that I am the reason. I am the cause of all the struggles and difficulties I face.

While I didn’t consciously or verbally ask for all the pain and sorrow, on a subconscious level, I did. I attracted all the struggles and difficulties because, deep down—unknown to me at the time—I felt I deserved them. I was comfortable with and unaware of the patterns and cycles of struggle, lack, and painful experiences. There was nobody to blame, no single experience or situation for which I wasn’t responsible for the outcome. At any moment, I had the choice to open my eyes, see it for what it truly is, and make a better choice. Once I fully understood and accepted this, I began to heal and grow. I broke the cycles and patterns and began aligning with my most authentic self.

In my healing and growth, I began to understand this truth on an even deeper level. I now see beyond the cycles and recognize them for the lies they truly are. I’ve also come to realize that this knowledge—this truth—comes with an almost overwhelming responsibility. When you begin to see things differently, to see them for what they truly are, there’s a profound moment of clarity and realization. This newfound knowledge not only benefits yourself but also the people and the world around you.