Part of being alive means you will have to face struggles and obstacles. There is nothing you can do about it. Your mindset will determine whether you get knocked out or flourish. Even better, you get to choose.

Life is simple. Everything happens for you, not to you. — Byron Katie

Have you ever reflected on where you are in your life? Have you ever tried connecting the dots from past experiences and choices that placed you exactly where you are? It’s incredible if you think about it.

Everything had to happen the way it did, and you had to make the choices you made to be where you are right now. You needed everything to unfold the way it did: the good and the bad.

As surely as you had to face some prior struggle to get to where you are now, you will have to face another to get somewhere else. And that somewhere else can be better if you make that choice.

Even if you aren’t happy where you are right now, you’re just a few choices away from turning everything around.

It’s important to remember that no matter how hard things seem right now, you’ve made it through every hard time you’ve faced just fine. You’ve lived to see another day, and you’re here to fight another fight and overcome another obstacle. Yes, each new one that pops up feels insurmountable, but your history shows it is untrue. You always persevere.

I know this will sound like turning lemons into lemonade, but what are some everyday struggles we all face? How is there a blessing tied to any of them?

Heartbreak can quickly make you dive headfirst into self-improvement and become the best version of yourself. Perhaps you didn’t love or value yourself before and disregarded red flags to stay in toxic relationships.

We’ve all worked with horrible bosses and co-workers we don’t like. These can be opportunities to learn how to stand up for yourself, deal with difficult personalities, or even self-reflect and see if your behavior is making things worse.

Health problems can show you that you have been neglecting yourself for too long. Maybe you haven’t been living your life to its fullest, and this lights a fire under you to do so.

Financial problems can force you to finally update your mindset around money and make you learn about budgeting and saving. They can inspire you to strive for more at your current job to get a raise. You could decide to learn new skills, start a side hustle, or even land a new job or career.

Even the death of a loved one can show you that nothing is promised, not even a tomorrow. It can make you think about what you want to do with your life. What grudges should you drop? What friends and family should you reach out to and reconcile with?

I get it. Facing any of these things isn’t easy. Yes, it is going to hurt, and it does take courage.

However, overcoming any of these struggles is also a hidden blessing. It’s the ability to help anyone else going through them. Opening yourself up and sharing your story allows others dealing with the same thing to find you. It also encourages them to share their story. This leads to more struggling people finding help.

Which mindset is better? Being stuck in wallowing and sadness, playing a victim, or viewing your struggles as an opportunity to level up and grow? Which way is going to take you further?

Rise or sink. The choice is yours, and it’s a choice you can’t avoid making.