How To Cope With Challenges
Accepting that life is hard does not mean you have to give up and be dragged along for the ride. Definitely not! Remember, there are always two versions of a story, two sides of a coin.
On one side, there are the words life is hard, but on the other side, the words say you can make it better!
You Have the Power to Make it Better
Have you heard the saying, “If life hands you lemons, make lemonade?” It is true! One of the beautiful things in life is that you can make your situation better.
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You may have a hard life but how you respond to the challenges spells the difference.
So, accept that life is hard but also realize you have a responsibility to make it better and the power to make it great.
You can become a good employee, a good spouse, a good parent, a good friend, and a good person in general.
No one can do that except you. You have complete control of what happens and does not happen in your life. You can make things happen, just as you can prevent them from happening if you continue mulling over your hard life.
Your boss, officemates, spouse, children, and friends will not change just because you are having a hard time. If you become a better person, they will take notice, and the people around you will be able to relate more to you, leading to enhanced communication.
Remember, you always have a choice: either continue making your life miserable or make it better! Life is not always fair, but you have the power to turn it around.
When the Going Gets Rough
Accepting the challenges in life troubles many people. You might have heard words like, “I hate my life” or “I wish I had a better life.” It is normal for people to feel that way.
You may have uttered these words yourself. Sometimes, people make their lives more dramatic than they need to be. It has always been simple but people tend to make life overly complicated.
How do you think people with terminal illnesses cope with their lives knowing that anytime they might just go? When you are struggling, first remember that you are not the only one. In short, cut the drama.
Acknowledge The Problem Or Issue.
You have worked hard lately, but you seem not to improve at all. You still struggle from paycheck to paycheck, so you continue to work hard just to provide for the basic needs of the family.
Working too hard eventually takes its toll on your health and you fall ill. Here, you have a decision to make.
You can pretend nothing is wrong and just deal with whatever happens as a result of the illness. Or, you can acknowledge that there is a problem and face it head-on.
Act!
Once you accept the presence of the problem, it is time to act. Do you continue working in the office that causes you enough stress to make you sick? Or should you let go and find a different job?
Think about it. In this technological age, so many opportunities have come up. Take the case of Emma, a single mom with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder that stemmed from the stress of working for a demanding boss.
Although she is a single mother, she made a bold decision to resign from work and begin working at home.
Emma also began taking care of her health. She began consulting with a meditation teacher who taught her how to accept everything. The meditation teacher taught her effective techniques to handle stress and anxiety.
When changes happen in your life, you have to pause and remember that you always have a choice. There are easy and difficult choices, but you are never lacking in options.
Learn to open your eyes and mind to all the possibilities. The answers may be so obvious that you fail to see them as they are presented to you. You may need to see things from a different perspective to make the appropriate choices.
There are no right or wrong choices, only appropriate ones – those appropriate for your situation.
Ask For Help.
Many people struggle to ask for help because they assume it shows weakness. However, you must realize that no one can do it alone.
There are people who hesitate to ask for help because they do not want to bother anyone. When you ask people why they help one another though, they answer along the lines of wanting to help.
People feel good when they can help other people, so do not beat yourself up. Instead, ask for help when you need it.
Some experts say that helping other people can help you achieve true happiness. Plus, asking for help may help the other person even more than it helps you.
Take Responsibility.
There came a point for Emma during the treatment when nothing was happening. She assumed her doctor and therapist were not trying hard enough to help her.
She felt that they did not understand her because they did not listen hard enough. Emma had to struggle with her illness, and she thought the people meant to help her did not help much after all.
That is, until Emma finally realized that doctors and therapists can only do so much. The change must come from within.
She was frightened at first, but she knew she had to face the demons in her mind and be responsible for her own recovery. Hard work was the only way to guarantee a recovery.
Realizing she had to change within herself was all the motivation she needed. While her therapist has been helpful, if Emma did not acknowledge her responsibility for her own body, she would not have overcome her illness.
Change What You Can, And Accept What You Cannot.
Emma made some drastic changes in her life. While she lost her job, she regained her life! She accepted the challenge of changing what she had control of.
She also acknowledged that she could not control everything, meaning sometimes she had to let go. Acceptance is an integral part of overcoming challenges and adversities.