YOUR AD HERE »

Vail perspective: Know thyself in a challenge

Catherine Zeeb
Vail, CO Colorado

VAIL, Colorado –“You can’t change anything you don’t recognize”

Who are you in the face of challenge and obstacles in your life? Who are you in the face of sadness? Grief? Happiness? Anger? Frustration?

These are big and very important questions. When we don’t walk consciously through life, we are not concerned with who we are in the face of challenge. It is easy to assume that life will happen and that will just handle what arises. But asking yourself who you are in the face of challenge will change everything.



If you fall back on your old way of dealing with situations, you will forever have the same result – even if the situation involves new people and new places. For example, if you deal with relationships the same old way, what you feel and believe about relationships will always have the same result. You will not move forward within your own mind – you will forever repeat feelings and actions.

Asking yourself who you are in the face of challenge requires that you stop and recognize how you are about to act or react. Once you recognize that you are about to respond in an old way, you can choose to react differently. This is not only about having new dialogue with yourself, but a new part of you can emerge as well.

Support Local Journalism



When we are faced with challenges, we have the opportunity to grow. We can choose to get angry or we can ask what the moment has to teach us. Every moment is a lesson, no matter how wonderful or how sad.

As you sit with someone you would rather not have to talk with, are you anxious, angry, distrustful or intimidated? Can you step back and see if you can enter the room with a different attitude and view this person with new eyes?

Here are a couple of tools to help change a moment: 1) Breathe and choose to quiet the mind chatter. 2) Pay attention to what starts to arise in a situation and take a moment by stepping away. You may not respond exactly like you would like to but you will begin the transition and the next time will be a little easier.

Recognize what is going on in situations and choose your reaction. Be truthful with yourself and do what is right for you.

Note: For those who read my recent column about Wylie, my 17-year-old cat, she died on June 9. I have mourned this loss in my life and my house feels so empty when I come home as she always came to greet me. She will be sorely missed.


Support Local Journalism