Rise above the challenges of circumstances

Life seems so easy when things go our way, when we are sitting in the comfort of our home, when we are earning good money, when our bodies are in great shape, etc. It is human tendency to love comfort and detest change. So in the coziness of our easy comfortable lives, what happens when circumstances suddenly become challenging and tough? Our first reaction is to find ways to avoid the challenging situation or to simply escape. A human being’s favorite pass time in such situations is escapism. We love running (not literally) when the going gets tough. But life is not always a bed of roses and sometimes we have to bear the thorns. One must accept the fact that as bad times come and go, so do good times, then why not face the bad times with a smile instead of a tear? When life throws a dagger at you, you can either catch it by the blade or by the handle. Instead of worrying about the blade, why not focus on catching the dagger by the handle? Learn to turn your pain into gain and your hurt into happiness. While we rejoice in our glories, we must learn to rise above the challenges that difficult circumstances throw at us. We can achieve this in the following ways:

1. You always have a CHOICE

When a problem strikes, most people complain that they don’t have a choice except to suffer. That’s not true because we always have a choice. When a catastrophe strikes we have a choice either to panic and suffer or to survive, when we lose our loved ones, we have a choice either to become bitter or to accept death as the reality of life and become compassionate. It is okay to grieve when we are sad and one must do that but at some point we have to learn to accept reality. If you lose your job it is not the end of the world. Choose to work harder and find other solutions. In challenging circumstances, always remember that you always have a choice so choose wisely and empower yourself.

2. Stop playing the blame game

When life gets difficult, we start looking for a scapegoat to blame. If you don’t do well at work you blame office politics, if a marriage fails you blame your spouse or his/her family, if you suffer an illness you blame God, if you fail an exam it’s because the questions were too tough, if you lose money it is due to bad luck and the list goes on. Instead of focusing on blaming someone or something for a good day turning bad, accept responsibility for your actions and focus on self improvement. Think of ways to make things work because nobody and nothing is responsible for your fate. This is your life and you are in charge. You are sitting on the drivers seat and not on the passenger seat in your own car. You succeed because of your efforts and you fail because of your actions. 

3. Engage in physical activities and exercise that makes you happy

Involve yourself into some form of physical activity at least three to four times a week. This could be walking, sports, dance, martial arts, swimming, etc. This will not only help you to remain physically fit but will also help you to become mentally strong and focused. Challenging your body helps to train your mind to be prepared to face challenges. So get off the couch, switch off the television sets and get going.

4. Yoga

Yoga is a way of life and whichever form of yoga you practice, it will help you in more ways than you can imagine. Yoga helps you to learn the art of controlling your mind and concentrating on what you want rather than getting distracted. If you can master the art of controlling your mind, then you can control your emotions and reactions. You can remain calm even in uncomfortable situations. Yoga helps you to become aware of your inner self and the person who knows himself/herself can easily keep his mind under control.

5. Be like a Mathematician 

When a mathematician looks at a problem, he doesn’t try to escape it. He applies his mind to the problem and finds solutions. This applies to life as well. If you face a challenging situation, be calm and apply your mind to finding solutions to solve the situation at hand. Human mind has answers to all questions if used with focus and perseverance.

6. You are not alone - Have FAITH

Lastly but most importantly, always have faith in yourself and the hand above you. When challenges arise, faith helps you to rise above such situations. People with strong self-belief and faith in God are the ones who are able to rise above any challenge that life may throw at them. Don’t let the fear of a challenging circumstance shake your self-belief. If you believe in yourself then nothing in unsurpassable or impossible. Have faith that you can catch the dagger that life throws at you by the handle. If God brings you to it, then he shall take you through it. Where there is faith, there is no doubt, so never doubt your faith. You are never alone because God is always by your side if you truly believe in him.

Thus, you can rise above the challenges of any circumstance if you put your mind to it and if you believe in yourself and God. Don’t look for easy options and shortcuts. Be that man or woman who is happy during good times and happier during tough times.