5 Steps to Overcome Difficult Situations
Life is a series of hills and valleys, a combination of happy moments, normal daily life, and difficult situations. Sometimes you feel euphoric, and other times you feel like the world is falling down on top of you. And although it’s our natural tendency to seek happiness, it’s actually difficult situations that test us and make us grow.
The way you respond to these difficult moments is what really defines you as a person, and also it makes you value everything else that happens to you more deeply. When you’re able to navigate difficult situations, not only do you experience internal growth, you also learn to value happiness through a new perspective, which will help you gain strength and wisdom.
“Life is not what it’s supposed to be. It’s what it is. The way you cope with it is what makes the difference.”
-Virginia Satir-
Even in the most desperate situation, there is hope. It’s easier said than done, but it is possible to get out of the hole and overcome what happened. Plenty of people have done it. It isn’t easy, but nobody said it would be. So here is some advice that can help you overcome the situations that suffocate you and that might seem impossible to escape at first.
This too shall pass
You know from your own experience that everything passes, that nothing lasts forever. And the pain and anguish that you’re feeling right now will also pass, no matter how overwhelming or intense it is. It will pass. So don’t hold onto your pain in an attempt to deal with it. Let it flow, feel it, but don’t get attached to it.
Don’t feel guilty for feeling pain, and don’t look for someone to blame, in yourself or anyone else. Seeking blame doesn’t solve anything, it will just make you more angry. Feel your pain, it’s yours. Let it flow. Sooner or later it will go away, but it will only do so if it can flow towards the exit.
“Facing difficulties is inevitable. Learning from them is optional.”
-John Maxwell-
You are as strong as you want to be
You have strength within you, as much as you want to have. You just have to harness it. If you don’t know how strong you are, it’s because you still haven’t had to use the strength you carry within you. When faced with a difficult situation, you’ll have the chance to release this inner strength.
Can you not feel it? This is because of fear, a paralyzing fear that causes you to catastrophize. But everything your fear is telling you is a lie. You can overcome this situation because you have the tools within you to do so. Find them, grab hold of them, and use them.
Let your will take control of your mind, and let reason take control of your heart. Accept the fact that you have to harness your strength, even though it hurts. Be brave and choose to take control of your thoughts.
“Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.”
-Charles Swindoll-
Don’t let anyone dictate your reality
Pain and loss are a part of life. We all go through painful experiences at some point. Don’t let other people’s way of facing pain define the way you face your own reality. It’s yours, not anyone else’s.
There’s no correct way to overcome pain; you don’t have to be politically correct about it. Decide what to do for yourself. Find what you need within you to let the pain flow. Find your inner strength and choose how you’re going to access it.
Many people won’t understand the way you experience pain, but that’s not your problem. Don’t let anyone else decide how you should face your own difficult situations.
Don’t focus on what you can’t control
When faced with a difficult situation, there are many things you can’t control. But people tend to cling to these things, to try to find an explanation and someone to blame. But in this attempt for control, they also cling to anger and pain.
Let it go, don’t focus on what you can’t control. Let your anxieties flow so that you can release yourself from them, and then concentrate on finding inner peace. You can’t control the situation or your emotions, so don’t try. Just accept it without attachment.
Everything has a meaning; find it
Everything in life has a meaning, a reason, something to contribute. You just have to find it. Trust that you can learn something good from everything that happens to you, even the most painful situations. Don’t try to understand or manipulate the situation. Simply let it offer you something that you can take advantage of so that you can learn and become stronger.
Novelist Dean R. Koontz once said that prayers do get answered, but you have to listen attentively and believe in the response. God doesn’t shout, he whispers, and his whispers will show you the way. Apply this to your own beliefs, the idea is just as valid.
