Life got you down? Try these easy tricks to get back on the horse and persevere.
Everyone has times when life is tough. Brutally tough, even.
Times when the pain, struggle, and pressure of things becomes so intense that it’s hard to face another day.
Luckily, crushing, challenging, or defeating circumstances don’t need to spell disaster in our lives.
In fact, with the right tools, hard times can work to our advantage; they can even leave us stronger, smarter, and better than we were before.
So, just what are these magical tools? And how do we use them to come out on top?
Today’s post – which starts just after the image below – answers these questions for you.
How to Feel Empowered and Unstoppable – Even When Life is Crushing You (Part II):
1. Limit your time with negative people, news, and activities. The next time you find yourself down in the dumps, experiencing a dark night of the soul, or feeling inadequate or defeated, do yourself a big favor and GET AWAY FROM NEGATIVE PEOPLE. The last thing you need when you’re in a down or low state of mind is more negativity. Because we’re more vulnerable to extreme emotions when we feel down or sad, choosing to pour more of the same into yourself won’t work. This would be like someone trying to get out of quicksand and cement being poured on them. Make things as easy on yourself as you can and nix the negative influences in your life – stat.
2. Look for the lesson.
What if I told you the real lesson of “rough times” times is NOT to speed through it, kicking and screaming, and end up exhausted and defeated at the end? Imagine, instead, those rough times were teaching you something. Not in a punishing sort of way (I don’t believe the Universe is out to punish us) but in a character-building way. The next time you’re facing a hard time, ask yourself if the experience could be deepening your strength, creating rock-solid self-confidence, and/or helping you learn valuable, life-changing strategies. Along with this, ask yourself:
- What am I gaining from this experience? List any benefits you can think of, from becoming more resilient or mentally strong, to spending more time with your loved ones, developing more independence, etc.
- What have I learned? Things like humility, non-attachment, and empathy are traits people often develop during difficult times.
- Overall, has this experience made me a better or stronger person than I was before? Most of the time, the answer will be yes.
3. Keep track of what is going well. If you want to have a positive, happy life – even when it seems to be handing you some rather questionable things – it is vital to keep track of what is going well. Furthermore, if you’re doing shadow work – i.e, looking at parts of yourself you dislike – or going through a challenging time, it is doubly important to seek out and record the good.
Why?
Just as most of us would not fare well if we were suddenly shifted to a life of complete darkness, most of us are not used to moving around in the dark of our lives for extended periods of time, either. Bringing in a little light – in the form of a list of positive things that are going well – however, provides the necessary balance and self-nurturing to continue moving forward in unstoppable ways – even if it’s one of the worst times of our lives.
So, there you have it: 3 ways to stay empowered and unstoppable – even when life is pummeling you.
What did you think?
Have you tried any of these before?
Which are you most likely to integrate into your life?
Let me know by emailing jp@jaimepfeffer.com; I love hearing from you!
And, before you go: if you liked this list as much as I enjoyed writing it, check out Part I here. In it, you’ll find 4 additional ways to stay empowered and unstoppable – even when life is crushing you.