When I turned 40, I found myself headed in a new direction.  It wasn’t necessarily by choice but I felt a light bulb go off in my head and open my eyes so I could see a lot clearer.  

Eleven years later, I have a new wonderful husband, a smaller circle of friends, an entrepreneurial spirit and a new passionate attitude about life.  I decided it was time to UNPACK THAT JUNK IN MY TRUNK!

No one goes through life problem free. The question is, how do you handle your circumstances? Do you try to ignore them and hope they’ll go away or do you allow yourself to nearly drown in a self-made pity pool?  

Paul in the Bible was faced with constant challenges and opposition. In 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 he said, “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed...”  

Every opposition in your life carries an opportunity for you to learn, live or give.

Ask yourself the following questions when you‘re facing some type of opposition:

1. What can I learn about myself from this situation? (What attitudes, character traits, choices, etc. does this situation reveal about me?)

2. How should I live in the face of the challenge? (Choose courage, faith, love, hope, etc.)

3. What can I give in the situation? (Give yourself another chance, give your time to help someone else, give the gift of forgiveness for some offense, give up your own pride, give up on negative thinking)

One final note, challenges are a part of life’s lessons designed to make you stronger and wiser not only in your personal and spiritual life but in your business dealings as well.

So girlfriend, what are you still packing that you just need to let go of?