There are times when life is cruel to us. There are times when problems come one after another, and we feel that our strength is leaving us. At those times everything goes wrong and it is difficult to maintain an optimistic attitude.
In such situations, it is understandable that we are tempted to throw in the towel, to give up and want to give up, hoping only to find some peace and quiet. In such cases, when everything looks dark around us and we find it difficult to believe that we will get out of this situation, it is necessary to find support.
This support can come from a psychologist, but also from a friend or even from a motivational book or movie. However, the truth is that no one can help us if we do not give ourselves a hand from within, if we do not change some of our thoughts.
So, the next time you are facing one of those difficult stages that life has in store for us, remember these phrases:
1. Don’t give up, you still have time to reach out and start again, accept your shadows, bury your fears, release the ballast, take flight again. – Mario Benedetti
The Uruguayan poet could not have expressed it better. Nothing is lost if you do not give up because hope is strong enough to keep us motivated, without faltering. Viktor Frankl, a Viennese psychiatrist who was imprisoned in Nazi concentration camps, showed us that having something to fight for, having a meaning in life, can save us even in the most extreme circumstances. He himself never gave up and at 67 he achieved one of his life’s dreams: to have a pilot’s license and fly through the sky.
2. Wherever you are, do what you can with what you have. – Theodore Roosevelt
On many occasions, we are the ones who become our own worst enemy, especially when we adopt a perfectionist attitude. However, we must learn to focus more on the effort than on the results. Sometimes things go wrong and do not turn out as we expected, so we must take comfort in the fact that we did the best we could, with the experience and information we had at our disposal. Blaming ourselves is useless because we cannot turn back the clock and we will only feel worse.
3. Life isn’t about getting good cards, it’s about playing the cards you’re dealt well. – Josh Billings
There are people who complain about everything, suffer from chronic victimhood and operate in “complaint mode” and adopt the role of victims. However, in this way they only make their lives miserable. That is why this American comedian reminds us that it is not about having good cards, but about playing the ones we have been dealt intelligently. There is no point in complaining about the things you do not have; it is better to feel grateful for what we have and, based on that, forge the destiny we want.
4. Problems are not signs that you should stop, but guidelines along the way. – Robert Schuller
The way we deal with problems affects the impact they will have on our lives. We can choose to see problems as insurmountable obstacles or as opportunities to change. In reality, behind every problem lies a lesson, so they are more than just obstacles; they are warning signs that can help us get back on track. Keeping this idea in mind can lead to a radical change in your life because you will learn to face difficulties from a more optimistic perspective.
5. Lucky is he who expects nothing, for he will never be disappointed. – Jonathan Swift
Often, problems are not problems at all, but simply disappointments. In fact, because we tend to have unrealistic expectations, when the world does not work as we would like, we feel bad. From this perspective, setbacks and problems do not exist in and of themselves; they are a reflection of our unfulfilled expectations, of our inability to accept change and respond adaptively.
6. If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change the way you think. – Mary Engelbreit
Crying over spilled milk is not only unproductive, but it also creates a very negative mood because it makes us feel like we have no control over our lives. That is why, when faced with problems, it is essential to take a proactive attitude, asking ourselves what we can do to get out of that situation. Obviously, there are times when we cannot change the circumstances, so we have no other choice but to accept them and try to see the positive side.
7. Today you are where your thoughts have led you, tomorrow you will be where they will take you. – James Allen
It almost sounds like a tongue twister, but the truth is that these words from the British philosopher contain great wisdom. It doesn’t mean that you can achieve what you set out to do just by wishing or thinking about it, they indicate that the problems we face today are, in some way, the result of the decisions we have made throughout our lives. The good news is that right now we can change, we have the power to transform the present and build the future we want. Never let yesterday take away too much of today.
8. It is not the circumstances that shape you, but how you react to them. – Anne Ortlund
We tend to think that life’s circumstances shape us. However, in this way we settle for being a puppet in the hands of a capricious fate. In reality, what makes us stronger or more resilient is not the setbacks themselves but the way we react to them. For example, it has been shown that people who are diagnosed with cancer and accept the diagnosis with pessimism have a worse prognosis than those who adopt a combative attitude. Because faced with the same event, we can react differently, and that is what really counts.
9. Everything I have learned in life, I can sum up in two words: Everything passes. – Robert Frost
This American poet, who lost his wife and had to deal with the suicide of his son, fell into the clutches of alcoholism. However, he survived, healed and continued writing. That is why his message is so powerful: no matter how great the suffering, it will pass. It is true that when we feel bad, when setbacks overwhelm us, it is difficult for us to find that light at the end of the tunnel, but you can be sure that better times will come. And that will allow you to adopt a more realistic perspective, which will help you deal better with the problem.
10. It doesn’t matter how slowly you go, if you never stop. – Confucius
Sometimes we just get desperate. And in our despair, we don’t realize that we’re making progress. In fact, when we see the world through a gray lens, it’s hard to think in terms of progress. But the truth is that even when the pain increases, it means we’re moving toward healing, because every step, even if painful, is necessary. We just have to make sure that we don’t get stuck along the way, we have to keep taking steps, even if they’re small.
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