Why is struggle good?

A lady was basking in the beautiful sunny afternoon. She spotted a cocoon on the nearby tree branch. There was a small opening in the cocoon. She noticed the butterfly struggling to make its way out. Her heart melted seeing the scuffle of the insect.

The lady wanted to help, so she took a twig from ground and broke the rest of cocoon.
She was happy to see the butterfly freed. Ahh, but soon it died. Her heart cried out. She could not understand what had just happened.

A man standing nearby, saw the situation and calmed her. She said, she doesn’t know how it happened. The man calmly said, “you denied the insect the struggle necessary for its survival”. The lady still could not make sense out of the situation.
The man understanding her plight, further explained, “when the butterfly struggles to break free, a fluid enters its wings making them strong to help it take flight”. In your effort to help, you intervened with that process.
The above story is a well heard and narrated story. I have just tried to put it in my version. It gives some very important life lessons.

1. Struggle is everyone’s way of getting ready for life. Denying someone that part can make the person feeble and dependent. At times as guardian, parent, mentor; we snatch this opportunity from our child, mentee. However, this way of helping never allows that person to become a full grown-up butterfly that can explore the life with confidence.
2. Some things can be learnt by being in middle of situation only. Not everything can be taught in classes, mentoring sessions or through parental guidance. Allowing the person to experience and fail, helps them to imbibe the lesson.
3. In life when we have a choice between the comfortable option and new but out of comfort zone option. Pushing ourselves to choose the uncomfortable option allows us the opportunity to struggle. In this choice you can make your wings stronger for a higher flight.
4. When we stretch the limits, we challenge our limitations to break. This helps us to grow our horizon. Setting a target that is bit above the comfortable zone is a good way to add healthy struggle in lives.
   

Nature is full of examples of struggle that helps in growth. The gold shines brighter after being beaten up. The exposure to fire makes the iron find its strength. Darwin’s theory of survival has guided us that the fittest has maximum chances. The fitness is not always coded in DNA, but gets refined with each stroke of new struggle. When things are too comfortable, its time to make some changes to break out of this comfort.