What a Privilege

"What a privilege to be tired from the work you begged the universe for..."

"What a privilege to feel overwhelmed by the growth you used to dream about..."

"What a privilege to be challenged by a life you created on purpose..."

"And what a privilege to outgrow things you used to settle for..."

To be tired from having done things you dreamt about is a beautiful blessing.  What an amazingly refreshing concept to simmer on.

I came across this and experienced a powerful sequence of reflections—it reads almost like a mantra for gratitude in motion. Each line reframes exhaustion, overwhelm, challenge, and change not as burdens but as evidence of answered prayers, focused intentional living, and personal evolution and progression. It’s a reminder that the very things we sometimes complain about are the fruits of what we once longed for.

There are many layers to consider and points of view.  The only way I can welcome these points into my mind and heart is through an elevated mindset and spirit.  These are not to be quickly scanned and understood, at least not to me.  I liked how I felt when I was able to let them sink deeper into my being as they caused me to look at my trials, my proclivities, my progression -- my life differently. I immediately felt wiser and more grown up when I finally acknowledged the truth that I found in them.  What helped is when I could actually recognize that maybe I had progressed a bit.  I still have so far to go, I know... but it was a nice moment of reflection.  

• Privilege of effort:  fatigue becomes proof of meaningful work, not meaningless toil.

• Privilege of growth:  overwhelm signals expansion into spaces you once only imagined.

• Privilege of challenge:  obstacles confirm you’re living deliberately, not drifting.

• Privilege of evolution:  outgrowing old compromises shows you’re stepping into higher standards and truly progressing into a new maturity.

It’s almost a four-step gratitude ladder: work → growth → challenge → evolution

I was curious if these “What a privilege…” reflections mapped to Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet, especially his meditations on work, growth, challenge, and change.  I was so pleased to show how beautifully they correlate!

Here is what I found:

• “What a privilege to be tired from the work you begged the universe for…” Gibran’s chapter On Work insists that labor is not a curse but a blessing. He writes that “to work with love is to weave the cloth with threads drawn from your heart”. Work, when embraced, connects us to ourselves, others, and the divine. The framing of fatigue as privilege echoes his idea that toil is ennobling when it springs from love and purpose.

• “What a privilege to feel overwhelmed by the growth you used to dream about…” Gibran often pairs joy and sorrow, showing that expansion comes with weight. In On Joy and Sorrow, he says they are inseparable: “The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain.” Growth, even overwhelming, is proof of life’s unfolding. Your statement mirrors this duality—overwhelm as evidence of realized dreams.

• “What a privilege to be challenged by a life you created on purpose…”               In On Freedom, Gibran reminds us that true freedom is not escape but conscious choice. To live deliberately is to accept challenge as part of self-authorship. This resonates with his insistence that intentional living brings both responsibility and meaning.

• “And what a privilege to outgrow things you used to settle for…”              Gibran’s On Reason and Passion and On Self-Knowledge emphasize evolution—shedding old compromises to embrace higher truths. He portrays growth as a continual rebirth, where leaving behind lesser things is necessary for becoming more fully oneself.  “Outgrowing” aligns with his vision of spiritual ascent.

I loved this so much.  I loved reading over these expressions over and over again. 

I wonder how you feel as you read these.....?