Imagine that your life is cruising along, with you career and relationships going well. You are feeling confident and eager to keep on this path that is bringing success.
But, suddenly, you are thrown a curve ball – or several- and now it seems that your life has now turned sour, as if lemons are being thrown at you, especially onsidering that you are under lock-down or may have recently been furloughed or lost your job. You wake up each day feeling uncertain of what the day will bring or how you will cope. These types of days turn into another and another, seeming as if no end is in sight.
Mental and physical exhaustion can start to come in, and you just aren’t sure what to do to deal with these lemons and how you will make it through each day. This has been me for the last couple of months with the Covid19 pandemic starting and endlessly going on, and worry about my business, the health and wellness of family – and having a death in the family that I could not attend; It just seems like the hits come one right after the other.
Managing, and effectively dealing with them, is totally possible if you are open and don’t look at them as the end of the world. Remember, we get more of what we don’t want so keeping an open mind is needed:
- Breathe – this is a necessity to quiet your brain and body, as stressful times release stressful chemicals which can be detrimental. Taking deep breaths in and out will let those chemicals do what they are meant to do and will calm your breathing, heart rate and mind; being in quiet often leads to ideas that relate to solving your situation
- Be solution-focused – even though you may feel lost, this is not the time to focus on the problem or keep saying ‘I don’t know what I’m going to do.’ Focus your time on coming up with possible solutions to whatever issues you’re facing, as there are some, but you may not see them (yet). Write these down, no matter how out-of-the-box they may seem. This will focus your brain to get into action mode, versus fear mode. Once you have some solutions, you can now begin investigating them
- Tap into your strengths and resourcefulness – it’s amazing what you can do when faced with an adverse situation or crisis. You have strengths that may be untapped so this is the time to use them. Resourcefulness is needed during these times; whether you are researching programs or services on Google, or tapping into your network, or of others, to see who may know of resources to help your situation
- Ask for help – depending on your situation and your life circumstance, help is needed. This can be anything from a friend with a listening ear to contacting an agency who provides services for your issue. People are willing to help – it’s the asking that can be hard but, if you want to get through a difficulty, asking for help will get you through
As previously stated, life is going to throw us lemons that we may not be prepared to deal with. How we get through them, though, will be the key for your future, both in action and outlook. You will get through hard time; heck, if you look back in your life you already have. Bottom line – don’t ever give up and keep going. I love this quote:
“Never say that you can’t do something, or that something seems impossible, or that something can’t be done, no matter how discouraging or harrowing it may be; human beings are limited only by what we allow ourselves to be limited by: our own minds. We are each the masters of our own reality; when we become self-aware to this: absolutely anything in the world is possible.
Master yourself, and become king of the world around you. Let no odds, chastisement, exile, doubt, fear, or ANY mental virii prevent you from accomplishing your dreams. Never be a victim of life; be it’s conqueror.” (Mike Norton)
If you need help in dealing with life, or formulating goals and plans – either personally or professionally – we need to talk.