Life Won’t Always Be Easy, But You Have The Power To Get Through It
If you don’t know it yet, life isn’t meant to be perfectly good at all times. It doesn’t owe you anything, nor will there come a moment where finally everything is right and smooth sailing. In a world full of uncertainty, the most you can expect from life is that the good and bad come hand in hand and you simply will never know which one it will be today, tomorrow, in the coming week or years. However, don’t be scared, because like I said, when there’s bad, there’s also good and the power in ourselves to get through life. As the season changes, so do our experiences, feelings, and thoughts. The key to the motions in our lives is the mindset we keep.
Every one of us wants to live a meaningful and purposeful life. But to reach that goal isn’t always easy, and you have to consider a lot of factors like the actual career path you want to take, financial capability to pursue it, and the hurdles that may come in between as you pursue the path. You might find out you’re actually not that good at having empathy in really tough situations dealing with marginalized people, or the patience for taking care of children, or that you actually can’t create art as effortlessly and gracefully as your classmate. So do you give up? Or do you adjust and frame your mindset towards growth? Your mindset is your belief and attitude towards what is in front of you. When it comes to your goals and purpose in life, would you want to give up so easily? Would you want to settle for less?
The answer should be no, no matter how difficult and frustrating it may be. Instead, the answer should be reframing the way you think about the situation in front of you. You should think, “This is hard, but this is a learning process for me, and when I challenge myself, I can only come out smarter and better.” Another good one is, “I only fail when I stop trying.” We also often compare ourselves and think the other person has more skills than us. Instead of envy and self-pity, practice and grow your own skillset and think, “I can learn to do anything I want.” With the right way of thinking, you’re setting yourself towards the success of your goals in life.
Another area in our life where mindset can truly benefit us is when we feel like we’ve been thrown into the deep end. You know what that looks like—when your friend betrays you and you grow apart from each other, the end of a relationship, the loss of a loved one, or a total unexpected change in your life. I know it feels unnatural or even fake to have an optimistic mind when deep inside you’re wrestling with anger, grief, and frustration. Let yourself feel these emotions—they’re normal and you have the right to feel the way you feel. However, you don’t want to be stuck in a state of holding a grudge or sadness. You are only hurting yourself more and end up being stuck in a period of time that no longer exists. Find it in yourself, even in tiny ways at first, to cultivate a positive mindset by focusing on the good in your life right now and the attitude of gratitude. It’s not easy and there will be days where you are reminded of the past, but the key here is to let the thought pass without attaching emotions to it. Every experience shapes us and teaches us things, and with the hard and negative ones, let it add to your positive mindset by understanding that it happened to make you grow more into the person you are—one that is resilient, kind, strong and loving. You feel hurt because you were a good person, and don’t ever let the bad make you less than who you are and who you’re supposed to be.
As you go through life, I hope you don’t forget the power you have in you to succeed in life and to stand up strong after a setback or hurt. You got this!