bcg blog

Struggle Reveals

When you squeeze an orange, you expect to get orange juice. Seems like a reasonable assumption. You don’t squeeze an orange and hope for apple juice or lemonade. You expect orange juice.

The good news is, that’s what you get - orange juice.
The bad news is, that’s what you get - the real thing.

In society it’s the norm to walk around in a facade, pretending. Make-up on, hair done up, clothes nice and pressed - all to make sure we look the part. The extent we go to convince others that we have it together and are in control of our lives is mind boggling. From the cars we drive to the shoes we wear, the primary driver for most people is the answer to the question - what will others think?

Social media is one of the biggest culprits of this mindset. The overwhelming majority of social media is used as a vain effort to impress others.

We’re doing our best to look the part of the orange.

Why Should We Care?
Then struggle and adversity latch on and start squeezing. And the facade is over. There is no more pretending.

Struggle and adversity always point to the truth. They reveal what the make-up, fancy hair, and designer clothes had been covering up. They have no interest in the props your last Insta post got you. 

So, when squeezed, what everyone thought to be an orange is now being exposed for whatever it is. The real juice will flow. There’s no faking it.

That’s the beauty of adversity - it always reveals. 

The work to become authentic is difficult, which is why so few people truly embrace it. Yet, without it, we ourselves are unsure of the juice we’ll release when squeezed.

The most interesting aspect of struggle to me is that we are drawn to hide it in ourselves, yet value and appreciate it in others. We love the longshot stories and comeback heroes that found excellence by overcoming numerous obstacles. It’s an odd relationship.



REAL TALK - Action Steps
Here are a few ideas to help you be more aware and intentional in those moments of adversity and struggle. They may seem simple, but they’re not easy.

• Do The Work
  
  • You can’t replace the work to find out who you really are. Make your juice match your exterior. Then, embrace it. Grow comfortable being your authentic self. Purpose, core value work, mindfulness, and courage are all part of this process.
    

• Be Vulnerable 
  
  • By opening up about the challenges we’ve faced, we allow others the opportunity to be inspired. Share your failures as much as your successes. People are most inspired by flawed people, like themselves, that have persevered and found their way - not by people that have had their way paved for them.
    

• Pay Attention
  
  • You want to know who someone is? Watch them when things are hard, when they’re being squeezed. Listen to what they say, but more importantly watch what they do. The real person is always revealed in times of struggle.
    

Struggle is a beautiful thing. We should embrace it more than we do. It not only reveals our true self to others, but to ourselves too.

For more information on building excellence in your teams, visit us at www.bluecollargrit.com. 
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