I have to admit, this past month has been tough. There was a week last month when every day seemed to carry one piece of bad news after another—spending over half of this year’s marketing budget with nothing to show for it, losing a good client we had spent months to secure, and a server plumbing issue at home which is going to cost me thousands of cedis to solve. On top of that, there have been health issues with some members of my family.

There were days when I had to literally drag myself up to get through the day. In my message to you this month, I just want to say that if you are going through a hard time, know that you are not alone. We all have our fair share of struggles.

Handling the Struggles

In these moments, I’ve been trying to handle my own challenges by reminding myself of a powerful story I included in my book, The Journey Within. It’s the story of a young girl named Aisha who finds a butterfly struggling to emerge from its cocoon. Feeling sorry for the creature, she takes a pair of scissors and carefully snips the cocoon open to free it.

But she didn’t help. The butterfly emerged with a swollen body and underdeveloped wings, unable to fly. Aisha didn’t realise that the struggle to break free was nature’s way of strengthening the butterfly’s wings for flight. Her good intentions had ended up crippling the very creature she wanted to save.

Strength from Struggles

This story is a profound reminder that our struggles are often necessary. Though arduous and painful, they serve as transformative agents in our lives, shaping us and awakening strengths we never knew we had. They are the force that pushes us beyond our comfort zones so we can develop the resilience we need for the future. As Franklin D. Roosevelt once said, “Smooth seas do not make skilful sailors”.

The next time you face a challenge, remember that going through struggles is not a sign of weakness, but a sign of strength. It’s an opportunity to grow into the best version of yourself.

This brings me to you, what one struggle have you gone through that has pushed you beyond your comfort zone and made you stronger? I’d love to hear from you.

Albert

P.S. If you’re curious, I’ve shared the full story of “The Butterfly and the Cocoon” from Chapter 7 of The Journey Within. You can download it for free here. I hope it offers you some strength.