None of us are immune from having hard times in our lives. We all struggle with one thing or another. Whether its illness, or loss of a loved one, or financial difficulty, or heartbreak, or job loss, or feelings of inadequacy…everyone struggles… Over the past few weeks I have had several close friends dealing with really hard things in their lives. While I wish I could wave a magic wand and make everything okay for them I know I can’t. But what I can do is try to share something that has been helpful to me when I am going through hard times. You see, one way I try to help myself when I am struggling is to keep a file of inspirational articles on the topic of ways to navigate through life’s trials. One of my favorite articles on this topic was written by author Gail Goodwin and is called, “10 Tips To Get Through Hard Times”, which reads:
“Each morning as we wake up we have a choice to determine the direction of the day. We can go into default mode and wake up fearful and worried about things like how am I going to pay the bills, heal this relationship, find a job, etc… or we can make the conscious decision to choose the kind of day we’d like to experience. Many times the events of the day happen so quickly, we get caught up in the drama and we truly feel that we don’t have a choice. Things just happen. Bad things happen to good people.
But, even in the midst of confusion, pain or suffering, we do have a choice in our reaction to our circumstances. No matter what happens, we get to choose how to react to it. I’m the first to admit that this is often difficult to remember when life is smacking us in the face. It’s so much easier to do when we intentionally set the tone for our day BEFORE we jump into it.
Personally, I find that the first 15 minutes of my day is the most important part of the entire 24 hours. It’s like putting the train on the right track at the beginning of the day rather than trying to right a derailed train later.
Here are a few tips to help you through difficult times and help you take control of your day- before it ever begins.
As you wake up tomorrow morning, remind yourself of these things:
1. ) Don’t buy into what appears as real. You are not your problems. You are not your failures. You are a magnificent being with unlimited potential.
2.) Hold the vision of what you WANT to happen, not what appears to be happening. Stay with the vision. See it, share it, feel it. Focus on what you want to bring into your life rather than what might appear to be showing up.
3.) Keep the faith. When scary things happen, remember to go inside and renew your faith that everything is unfolding as it should. You are a child of God, no less than the moon and the stars. Certainly if the entire Universe works with perfection and we’re an integral part of it, then things are happening as they should for us too. Our challenge isn’t to deal with what may appear as a problem, but to find the blessing in the situation. Find the gift in what’s happening around you.
4.) Fear is False Evidence Appearing Real. Remember that fear is just an illusion. It’s simply energy that can be redirected to excitement, just by changing your focus.
5.) Remember, this too shall pass. All things come and go. Change is the only thing that’s constant in our lives. Be open. Adapt. Know that what may appear as a mountain in front of you will soon be a molehill behind you. Knowing this too shall pass enables us to get through anything.
6.) Remember your inner magnificence! You are an infinite being with unlimited potential. Seriously, when you think about it in that way, would an infinite being be afraid of anything? YOU are infinite. You are a part of something so much bigger than yourself or your problems. Tap into that greatness and put things in perspective.
7.) Surround yourself with people who support you. On days that you forget your magnificence, they’ll be there to remind you of how amazing you are and help you see the beauty and possibility of life. They’ll be there to help you achieve your dreams and contribute to the world in a bigger way.
8.) Realize that you are not alone. You are part of God, the Universe, a greater consciousness or whatever you may call that overpowering, loving force of Nature. You are not meant to walk alone, nor can you ever really do so. We are intertwined and are all part of one another. We are all the same. And we are walking this path together, going through the same things, learning the same lessons. Be compassionate with one another.
9.) Practice gratitude. When you count your blessings a world of abundance opens unto you. And if what you focus on grows, then let it be gratitude.
10.) Go do something for someone else. Start your day asking yourself, “How can I be of service?” and watch your own problems diminish. The perceived size of your problem will diminish in direct proportion to the how much you give to others. Be there for one another.
—I hope this article helps all of you as much as it has helped me to get through hard times when I am feeling down. Keep the faith because this too shall pass and you are MAGNIFICENT!
~Amy Rees Anderson
1 Comment
Every tip – absolute truth.