In Truth 6, we talk about how the best things in life can’t be purchased. They’re lessons that must be learned, earned, and cultivated. Struggle is a universal experience — not a single one of us will pass through this life without experiencing it.

There’s a quote by Charles Calen Colton, “There are three modes of bearing the ills of life; by indifference, by philosophy, and by religion.”

“There are three modes of bearing the ills of life; by indifference, by philosophy, and by religion.” – Charles Calen Colton

I love this because he gives us three pathways to “bear the ills of life”. One is religion, the second – my favorite, is philosophy, and the third is far too common: indifference. If you can’t make sense of why bad things happen to good people – if you can’t assimilate and integrate the experiences you have in your life – they will continually knock you over like one earthquake after the next. In order to endure, you have to make sense of the experiences you have. What my veteran friends taught me is – just like when you’re in the fog of war – you’ve got to zoom out. You’ve got to step back. You have to have a way of thinking about HOW you think about what you’re experiencing. This is your personal philosophy, and when you’re forming what that is, it has to integrate the fact that struggle will darken all of our doorsteps at some point or another.

When you have a way of thinking through your experiences – a personal philosophy to guide you – you can begin to utilize your agency to shape who you are, instead of becoming a byproduct of your experiences.

Be Well. Do Well. Struggle Well.

Josh Goldberg

CEO

Boulder Crest Foundation