This year has been quite challenging for our mental health and well being and the problems, delays and canceled plans only seemed to add up. It’s easy to get frustrated and sad when things don’t go exactly our way and 2020 had a lot of these moments. How can we remain hopeful in the middle of a global pandemic, so much brutality and shattered dreams? It looks like an impossible task at first. But, as in everything in life, everything is impossible until you make it happen. So although we all have bad days good things happen when we decide to remain positive despite diring circumstances and make an effort to look at the silver lining of our days.
When we are facing roadblocks, obstacles that make us stop in our tracks and wonder when we’ll be able to continue to go our own way, there are a few helpful things that we can keep in mind to make the most of even an unfortunate situation.
1_ Reavaliate, reassess and review_ Look at your past and present behaviours and the habits you’ve been developing and reconsider if they are benefitial to you. In case they are, try to break your destritive pattern and the damaging cycles but reaxaming what is your purpose and adjust your actions to that. Remember we become what we do repeatly. Are you currently someone you are proud of? Or closer to being the best version of yourself? If no, what is preventing you from loving yourself from the inside out and feeling worthwhile when you look yourself in the mirror? Be honest to yourself as there are no right or wrong questions, but the deeper you are willing to go, the more progress you’ll be able to make when you get unstuck from the rut and back on the horse.
2_ Believe everything has a reason_ It may be hard to have this kind of thinking when you’re in pain but if you find a purpose and embrace all that happens to you, good or bad, your acceptance will be rewarded later on, and your suffering will begin to ease. Instead of always having a victim mentality and questioning “why me?”, ask yourself what you can learn from that hardship, how can it turn you into a better person and use it in your personal growth. We are all works in progress, perfectly imperfect, so be easy on yourself, don’t judge your mistakes harshly but try to see how you can improve next time. Remember the saying: never a failure, always a lesson. Don’t expect to know the reason for everything, most of the times we go through hard times and only connect the dots and understand why it needed to happen much later on. So don’t despair if you feel out of faith, keep going and never give because if you don’t, you will eventually see life as beautiful and sweet again.
3_ Nurture yourself_ Be it with a meditation, a nice book, a bubble bath, a massage, soothing music; anything that can put in a good mood is valuable because we never really know where the solution to our problems will come from so we might as well do something else that uplifts our souls and expresses who you are. Try something new and exciting like drawing, writing, doing a karaoke session… You can also get back to an old habit you used to love and left aside along the way. What’s important here is that you feel connected to who you are and in harmony with the world. Be kind to yourself and others and beautiful surprising things may occur.
4_ Be like water_ Be fluid, adapt to your surroundings and be flexible. No pain lasts forever and yours will not either, no matter how much it might seem so. Water doesn’t stop if it founds a roadblock, it transforms, changes states and shapes to successfully crossover to the other side. Water holds this power because it’s not heavy, set in stone, it’s not rough. It’s like a tender tree branch that doesn’t break in the toughest wind because it is able to bend and touch the ground, because it’s close to the roots. Harness all the potential that lays in being able and true to yourself.
5_ Connect with your spirituality_ Religion aside, we all have some sort of belief that gives us a spiritual shelter. Align with that force that can’t be easily explained but it’s felt when you least expect it. When we do that, we feel more complete, more grateful and just lucky to be alive. We don’t need much because we make the most of what we already had going on for us. Be appreciative, light and joyful and abundance will eventually come your way because you fine tuned yourself to be a happy person and good things come to those who wait and act with good in their hearts.
Everything in life is temporary so when the roadblocks get undone don’t forget to keep practicing these tips to always have focus, a clear vision and know that you are capable of being extraordinary.
Paula Gouveia