Walk Tall

Each of us have struggled or continue to struggle in certain aspects of our lives. The struggles that we all go through are the same for many, but the situation may be different. If you think about it, as one grows up a person will in some ways be graduating from the school of hard knocks and be initiated in adulthood. A type of initiation, in which he or she will be toughened up as life itself gets tougher and tougher. In a way, these struggles are considered gauntlets and anyone and/or anything will be standing in our way; beating us down as each of us are trying to get to the other side.

Childhood is considered one of the toughests gauntlets one faces because it's basically a search for individuality. In some ways, we battled our way through many obstacles to get to the other side not emotionally or physically scarred. Remember back in your middle/high school days trying to basically fit in, but yet one felt like you didn't belong. Think about it, our own middle/high school years were tests that took us beyond our limits of mental and physical pain and/or tuture in order to find out who will be standing at the end of the gauntlet, and will we lik the person we have become in the end?

Potential and/or significant relationships are considered gauntlets as well because one faces tough challenges ahead in order to meet Mr./Ms. Right. Let me ask you this question, have you ever had to go through so many obstacles in order to try to be with that one person you wanted to be with? Let me ask another question, was it worth it in the end going through that relationship gauntlet knowing all that you did to get to that point? We all have a comfort zone that we like to stay in but each of us will step out of that zone and risk being battered and bruised in order to find out if that particular person will be standing at the end of one's gauntlet.

If you think about it, a person faces their own personal problems as one walks the gauntlet of life so to speak. The problems that each of us face can either have a positive or negative effect. One can avoid them but for how long? It's these particular expectations that can beat a person down to the ground where one can either do things: 1.) stay down, give up, and let your own person gauntlet defeat you OR 2.) get up batter and bruised and push yourself to the end with the remaining strength you have. Which do you choose and will you or have you overcome your own personal problems?

Theodore Roosevelt once said, ~A person whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again, who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who at best, knows the triumph of high achievement; and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.~ In the end in the gauntlet that is our life, whether you succeed or fail, keep your head up and continue to walk tall.