I'll never forget the time when my mother was at her peak performance as a real estate agent. With untiring effort, intense client loyalty and a zest for sales, my mom became an excellent realtor. The results showed year after year and our family benefited in a number of ways.

Still, I'll never forget a time when business was slow and customers were more fickle than usual. Feeling blue, my mom had to look herself in the mirror and evaluate her own self worth. She asked the question that ultimately envelopes every struggle, "Can I have worth even if my outward success may be hard to see?"

You bet.

I'm surrounded by amazing people who are confronting The Struggle. They are successful on the outside but behind closed doors, face the same insecurities and doubts as you and me. These are the ones who slam fists on tables to deliver a passionate point, the ones who seek comfort from their spouse, the ones who try to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

The Struggle is that point (actually a string of them) when you're not sure if you're doing a good job.

When your outward success is foggy.

When people criticize you and bring Resistance.

What's your Struggle? It's probably somewhere between anxiety-depression-self doubt-poor habits-fear-laziness-exhaustion-despair. I know mine is.

So when you feel that you are in the midst of The Struggle, what should you do? Here are three suggestions:

Call it out. Actually tell someone that you're now in The Struggle.

Write down practical steps to get through it. By breaking down complex problems into manageable tasks, you'll not only feel better but move forward in action rather than in despair.

Get support. Few of us go through The Struggle alone. Turn to your prayer partner, spiritual advisor or trusted confidant at work. Talk about it.

The Struggle is not something that we go around. Rather, we push through it and gain clarity and resolve on the other side.

Here's to your journey and mine...

*photo by nickwheeleroz