Do you feel you’re passing through hard times? We may be facing a new health, financial, or relational problems, but more frequently, our hard times arise from our mind. Mental hard time is mostly a wounded ego. In such times, all we need is a shift in our thinking, the way we see and that life. Here are five tips to help us rise above challenges:
- Ask yourself “ Is this the worst that can happen? How do you think you would have handled something worse than this”. It is our over thinking that makes any situation seem like it is hard to handle. The moment we change the track of our thinking to “This is not the worst”, the panic that crippled us subsides, and that situation becomes easy to manage.
- Instead of feeling bad , weak, blank, or confused, let’s think how we can utilize hard times to become braver, stronger, more creative and loving. You’ve been trying hard to achieve something but you are not successful. Think differently. “If this doesn’t seem t be yielding results, let me try another way”. We will discover within us, a surge of energy that will open up more avenues for handling the same situation efficiently and we will become braver and stronger.
- When you make a mistake your wounded ego can blow it up to an extent that you condemn yourself. ‘ I’m worthless’… Instead of being your enemy, be your friend. Regain confidence by being a friend instead of an enemy to yourself and be humble to accept your mistake with a heart filled with deep gratitude and love . A hysterical moment should be converted into a historical moment that you reminisce as an event that made you braver and stronger.
- Sunshine cannot be got every day. Appreciate even cloudy weather- one should learn to. Anxieties and insecurities will fly away if you have this attitude .You can’t be strong and creative if you keep complaining about life. When you learn to enjoy all seasons, you will become a bright and warm presence for those who need to rise above their clouds.
- Sometimes a bad day for your ego is a good say for your soul. We become more mature to endure and handle life through the fire of hard times. We always count our losses. Why don’t we start counting our blessings. Sometimes we have to pay the price for our foolishness. But let’s be grateful that we could catch at the bud stage before it could grow into a big disaster. In hard times, we get to know our strengths as well as our weaknesses. But knowing our weaknesses in itself is strength. Ultimately we come out stronger, wiser than before.
Make hard times into a song and dance. Understand that it is your desire and ego that is projecting difficulties. Don’t just jot these points down. Repeat and apply again and again till they become your beliefs.
Remember, it’s the storms that make us stronger. And amid chaos rests vast opportunity- for those who have developed the eyes and the skills to embrace it.
Great heroes are made during seasons of discomfort versus during days of ease. Let’s remember this always during these times of pain and despair. As the famous poet Shelley said “ If winter comes, can spring be far behind”.
Adapted from THE SPEAKING TREE
Ashok Sharma, HR Consultant, Trivandrum