The Solstice Teaches Us to Rise – Choose Your Challenges Before Life Chooses Them for You

On the longest day of the year—the Summer Solstice—it felt like the hottest, too. The air was thick with warmth; the sun was already high, even in the early morning, and the whole day seemed to shimmer with intensity.

I had planned to do my usual Saturday park run. It’s part of my rhythm, something familiar and gently challenging. But that morning, a friend messaged to say it had been cancelled.

At first, I felt the subtle relief of being let off the hook—a free pass. I could stay home, sip something cool, and avoid the intensity.

But something in me stirred. A quiet, persistent nudge: There’s another run nearby. Why not try it?

I didn’t know the trail. I had no expectations. But with the Solstice sun blazing overhead and something ancient awakening in my body, I decided to go.

It was more challenging than I expected—rocky, hilly, uneven, and unfamiliar. Every step asked more of me. The heat pressed into my skin. Sweat pooled. My breath deepened. And still—I kept going.

With each incline, I felt something shift. I wasn’t just running—I was meeting myself again.

Then the butterflies came.

Delicate. Bold. Dancing through wildflowers and darting in and out of light. I took them as a sign, a blessing. A gentle reminder that beauty lives in the unfamiliar. That when we choose to challenge ourselves, life responds. Support appears. Magic follows motion.

That run became a Solstice ritual. Unplanned, sweaty, sacred.

It reminded me of something I’ve come to believe with my whole heart:

When we don’t choose our challenges, life chooses them for us.

If we stay too long in the comfort zone, life will eventually nudge—or shove—us out of it. Not to punish us, but to grow us. To wake us up. To remind us that we’re not here to stay small, hidden, or safe.

Challenge—when consciously chosen—is a gift. It teaches us the importance of presence, humility, resilience, and courage! It helps us remember our power.

The Solstice is a mirror.

It illuminates everything—what’s thriving and what’s dying, what’s true and what we’ve outgrown. It invites us to burn away what no longer fits. To meet the heat of life with our own inner fire.

You don’t have to do something grand to answer the call! It might be as simple as trying a new trail and saying yes to something that scares you. Sitting with an emotion you usually push away and telling the truth when it would be easier to stay silent.

Each time we deliberately stretch ourselves, we build capacity. We don’t just survive life’s inevitable challenges—we meet them with strength already forged.

This Solstice, I didn’t plan to be tested. But I’m glad I was. I remembered how much joy there is in being uncomfortable, for the right reasons. How much clarity lives on the other side of resistance? And how deeply alive I feel when I stop playing it safe.

So I invite you to ask yourself today:

☀️ Where am I growing too comfortable?

☀️ What challenge have I been avoiding?

☀️ What small act of bravery could I choose today?

Let this be your turning point. Let the Solstice light show you where you’re ready to rise. Let your discomfort be sacred. Let your sweat be symbolic. And when the butterflies appear—because they will—let them remind you that you are stronger than you know.

You don’t have to wait for life to shake you awake! You can choose your mountain now and become the fire that climbs it.

With love, gratitude and summer solstice high vibes,

Willow Woolf