Adversity and I have become well acquainted over the last 12 years or so. No doubt your brush with Adversity is vastly different from mine. But two facts exist – everyone at some point in their life will face challenges that sometimes are small and sometimes may be overwhelming; and one common thread exists for all of us no matter who you are or where you come from: the feelings you face and the effects they leave behind.
So in my experiences I have learned to develop guidelines to help me survive.
- The first and most important is to be strong. Strength exists inside you for anything you face to help you get through it all.
- Depending on how bad you feel sometimes it helps to think and believe that it’s all a bad dream. One day when you wake up you will realise that that was true.
- Dream about the life you want and keep the picture firmly focused in your mind. Whenever you feel down hold onto this picture and imagine what you would be doing in your dream life at that moment.
- Always hold on to your hope. It is a good friend when Adversity rises.
- Find good in everything, every moment, everywhere. Everywhere and in every situation good exists if you seek it hard enough. It eventually becomes a habit and gives one a clearer perspective on life and the world around you.
- There is always someone, somewhere who is facing challenges that are far greater than the ones you face now. Know that. Be grateful for the hope in your situation and every ounce of goodness that occurs.
- Rather than sit and keep your troubles company, do whatever you can in this very moment, to make your life better using what you have and what you can do. Using your every ability to do something useful will make you feel productive and worthwhile.
- Find a reason to laugh. One can either cry and complain about life or laugh about it. Humour lightens the heart and helps you deal with impossible odds. Laughing also helps your mood brighten.
- And finally, Spoil Yourself. You deserve to have a break every now and then. Sometimes when dealing with tough challenges one needs to take a moment to remember the fun in life. So get a movie, buy a book, or do something luxurious you wanted to for a while, or some other such thing to make you smile and feel special again.
- When it’s all over you will have discovered things about yourself you never knew and emerge a new and stronger person armed with lessons that will help you forge your dream life.