The Create Your Day Podcast

89. Face Your Fears: The Power of Embracing Challenges

• Jenn • Episode 89

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This episode revolves around confronting the challenges life throws at us and transforming fear into empowerment. We delve into why tackling issues head-on is essential for personal growth and resilience. 

• Discusses the rationale behind avoiding challenges 
• Explains the importance of facing problems directly 
• Offers strategies for breaking down challenges into smaller steps 
• Encourages listeners to seek support and celebrate small victories 

Thank you for tuning in! If this episode resonated with you, please reach out. I would love to hear it. Take a moment to leave a rating and a review on the podcast. That’s how we reach more people. Always, you can feel free to send me a message, share on social media, all the things. I want to grow with you and be along on your journey. 


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Speaker 1:

Hey everyone, welcome to the Create your Day podcast. I'm your host, jen Cody. Thank you so much for being here this week. So, if you're new here, the Create your Day podcast is a show where I speak all about how to create some mindset shifts, implement strategies and share some stories to help you live in a really intentional way. I want you to be empowered. I want you to create your day right.

Speaker 1:

So today we're going to speak about something that all of us have in our lives and that is challenges, and they're not fun, but we all have them. So sometimes we just hear the word challenge and it makes us want to stop what we're doing and run the other way. But I will ask you today to stick with me, because I want to flip this script a little bit. I want to talk about why facing challenges head on is it's not just brave because obviously it's brave to face things head on, it's actually better and it is that choice that leads to more growth, to increased confidence and to you being really able to live a life that feels aligned with who you are. So spend some time with me today. Grab a drink, grab some coffee, some tea, I don't know some wine, whatever time of day it is for you, and let's talk about it.

Speaker 1:

I want to start with the obvious. So I said, challenges make some of us want to turn around and run the other way. And why is that? Because challenges are uncomfortable, they suck, they're messy, they're inconvenient. That's why they're called challenges, and sometimes they can feel really impossible. Right? Have you ever had something going on in your life where you were like you couldn't even see the way out? So, because of that, that's why it's so tempting for us to just ignore them. We avoid those tough conversations. We don't want to deal with awkwardness. Maybe we've procrastinated on a project because of how overwhelmed we felt, and for some of us, we've even stayed in a situation, right, is it a job, a relationship? Staying in a certain mindset, just staying still in something that we know is not serving us? Because the thought of it, the thought of confronting it, feels really hard and it feels overwhelming.

Speaker 1:

And when we do that, I'm telling you, we think of it like a plant. Right, when we have something that we don't want to deal with, we push it down and try and get it as far away from us as possible. But think of it like a plant, like that thing that you're ignoring is the seed and you're pushing it down, pushing it down inside of you. It has to come out. It's only going to grow and get bigger. And even though we've all been there and ignoring these challenges can feel like that's what's easier in the moment, but when you ignore it, it does not go away, it just sits there and it grows, just like that plant. So if you imagine the plant, imagine like the same thing sweeping dirt under a rug. Maybe you can't see it right this minute, but eventually there's going to be a giant lump in the rug, right, and you're going to trip over it. So when you trip over it, it's going to hurt so much more than if you had just cleaned it up in the first place, unless you're like me and you're in your 50s and you might pull your back out picking up the dirt in the first place. But that's another episode.

Speaker 1:

So let's talk about why facing these challenges is actually good for us and I don't mean it's good for us in the. Obviously it helps us take care of the challenge way, because that's obvious. But what happens when we stop sweeping that dirt under the rug? What happens when we stop pushing those seeds of overwhelm down further and further into our body. What happens when we choose to face our challenges head on?

Speaker 1:

Well, the first thing I want to do is talk about what it actually means to face the challenge, because sometimes we feel like we can't face it because we don't have all the answers or that we can't do it perfectly. Facing the challenge simply means acknowledging it, just knowing that it's there, acknowledging its presence, deciding yes, you are going to deal with it, and taking one small step forward. And when you do that, each small step starts to build momentum. You start to prove to yourself that you actually are capable. You may even start to see that the challenge isn't as big or as scary as you thought. You guys have heard me say this before. Like when we don't want to face something, it feels like it's this giant monster behind us, but when we turn around and look at it, we see it for what it really is, and a lot of times it's not as big and scary as it is when it's in the background. So every time you face a challenge, what you're doing is strengthening your resilience. You're showing yourself that you're capable. You're. Empowerment is not about never feeling fear or never doubting ourselves. It's actually knowing that, even when those feelings show up, we have the tools, we have the courage to move forward anyway. So we all have times in our lives where we've had challenges that we've been wanting to ignore and wanting to not face.

Speaker 1:

One of my personal ones was my finances. Right after my divorce, I went through such a financial devastation. I mean devastation, devastation. I won't even get into specifics, but I can tell you that at the time it felt completely insurmountable. I had no idea how I was going to move forward. I had no idea how I was going to support my children. I had agreed to a financial arrangement in my divorce that was against what was suggested by the lawyers, because I felt bad and I did not want to be the bad guy, and I put myself in a situation that was not sustainable. It was so hard to turn around and look at that in the face. To turn around, put all of my numbers on a spreadsheet, make a phone call and speak to a financial advisor to see like what are my options here? Am I going to be living on the street? Can I really move forward in a way that is going to be beneficial for me and my children. And what I found was at that moment, even though it didn't change my reality, my finances were still my finances. But when I had that conversation and looked at everything in black and white, oh my goodness, I felt 10 times taller than I did before. I did that, and my biggest learning from that experience was that the hardest part was deciding to face it.

Speaker 1:

Once I took that step, the path forward started to reveal itself. And was it easy? Absolutely not. Was it worth it? Hell yeah, it was worth it, because now I know I'm going to be okay. I have control over what I'm doing. I have control of my finances. Do they look the way I want them to look? Yet Absolutely not, but that's okay. I look at them and I take control of them, and that is empowering for me, and I know because of my history that even when it's really difficult and I don't have all the answers, I have the ability to figure it out. So that's just a little personal story from me to let you know that you actually can do this yourself.

Speaker 1:

How do you face challenges head on when everything inside of you is telling you to run the other way? How do you do it Right, because that's so hard. That was the hardest part for me, and what I found was that, if I broke it down into smaller steps, that seems obvious, but it's really not. When we have something overwhelming us, we can't always see what those smaller steps might be. It's not always easy to say, oh well, obviously I can just turn this into A, b and C. No, we don't know that. So taking the time to see how to break them into smaller, manageable steps is going to help you focus on just the next step, not the whole journey.

Speaker 1:

When I had to start climbing my way to a better financial situation, I wasn't looking at the end game like, okay, where am I going to go when I retire? It was how do I pay off this credit card? You know, like it's just about focusing on the next step, and in order to make that easier, you really do have to shift your mindset so that, instead of seeing those challenges as obstacles, they are all opportunities for learning. What can I learn about myself? And that takes some deep diving right when you look at something, even when it's finances. How did I get into this position? What do I need to learn about myself so that I can be stronger next time Although I won't be getting another divorce, so there won't be a next time. But how do you make different decisions in the future? You have to have, you have to take, rather, those opportunities of embracing those challenges, and they're not obstacles, they're opportunities. What can you learn about yourself, about the situation, about all the players involved?

Speaker 1:

And also know that you do not have to do it alone. Right, you can ask for help. Who's a friend, a mentor, a coach in my case, a financial advisor that I trusted who is someone who can support you. And supporting you does not mean holding your hand through every single step, but it's just knowing that when you feel alone, when you feel the darkness coming down on you, there's someone you can turn to. That's priceless. So, please, make sure that you're asking for help and then, as you move forward, no matter how small your steps are, celebrate them. Every progress, every win is a win, even the tiny ones. So celebrate those wins, use them as your fuel to keep going, because facing challenges it's not about being fearless, it's about being brave enough to take action. So every action fuels you for the next one. So, even when you're scared, tell yourself you know, if I can just hold on and move forward through this next five minutes, this next credit card paid down, this next conversation with my boss. If I could just get through this one next thing, I'm going to have the fuel that I need and the empowerment that I need to move even further.

Speaker 1:

Because the bottom line is, the challenges that we face, they are a part of everyday life. They're a part of everyone's life. None of us can avoid them. All we can do is choose how we respond to them and when we choose to face them head on. That is choosing growth. That is choosing strength. That is choosing to step into the most empowered version of yourself. That's what I want for you. The next time you have a challenge, I want you to stop and ask yourself what is one small step I can take? How can I face this today in a small way and then take that step? You've got this. If you need someone in your corner, I'm happy to be that person in your corner. We can do this together and sometimes that's the easiest way, right, like knowing that we have a community behind us. So thank you so much for tuning in today.

Speaker 1:

Short episode on just how to like reframe your day today and create your day by empowering yourself to face some challenges head on. If this episode resonated with you, please reach out. I would love to hear it. Take a moment to leave a rating and a review on the podcast. That's how we reach more people.

Speaker 1:

Always, you can feel free to send me a message, share on social media all the things I want to grow with you and be along on your journey. I'm so, so grateful to all of you who have invited me to be a part of your journeys. So until next time, remember you are stronger than you think right. You're braver than you feel and you are more capable than you know. I promise you that Keep showing up for yourself, keep facing those challenge and keep stepping into that empowered version of yourself that is going to make the difference. Until the next time, I hope you use this information to go out there, create your day in the best way possible. I will see you next time. Take care of yourself, take care of way possible. I will see you next time. Take care of yourself, take care of each other. I'll see you next week. Thanks so much, everyone.