"To be successful you must accept all challenges that come your
way. You can't just accept the ones you like." Mike Gafka
  
Good morning! 

The first time I read this quote, I smiled knowingly.
When I started my first business at age 22, I still believed in a
very black-and-white concept of fairness. I believed that if I
worked hard enough, good results would come my way in work
endeavors. I believed that if I lived in a loving, caring and
compassionate way, my personal life would be full of loving, caring
and compassion. 

I now realize that life is fair in the long-term, even though it
rarely seems fair in the short-term. Often what we "think is fair,"
is actually one-sided, and we can't see fairness until we have
grown, stretched and visited other perspectives and places. 

I do know the quickest way to make life unfair and stay "stuck" is
to not accept everything life offers. When we become picky or
choosy about what we accept -- trying just to extract the good and
leave the bad -- we shutdown to the balance and fairness of life.
Often "the bad" comes for a reason. It comes to make us grow; it
comes to make us see something new; it comes to challenge our
spirit and build our soul. When we refuse to welcome this "bad," we
refuse to welcome that growth. 

Some of my experiences that looked so awful at face-value, ended up
being my best teachers. They carried me to places I never could
have reached without them. Had I not gathered the courage to accept
these challenges, I wouldn't be writing this email this morning. 

Your Turn: 
Where in your life have you been trying to just "take the good and
leave the bad?" What challenge does life have for you that you have
been avoiding because it doesn't seem "fair?" As February comes to
a close, I challenge you to accept all that life offers--the good
and the bad. During the month of March, I encourage you to meet a
challenge eye-to-eye, welcome it, and see where it might carry you. 

Your Affirmation: 
I understand that each of life's challenges is vital to reaching my
full potential. I embrace and welcome these challenges with open
arms.