5 Ways To Endure Life’s Trying Times

Everybody has “stuff” to deal with. For some, it might be money worries, relationship problems, parenting challenges, etc. You name it; everyone is going through something. Life isn’t easy.

Imagine how life would be if we were more patient, gracious, understanding, and kind, and much less critical and judgmental because we’re in this together; everybody deals with pain and hurt.

The world would be much brighter if we showed more compassion and empathy instead of blurting out hostilities whenever feeling irritated or offended.

It could all start with greeting passersby with a pleasant smile to encourage them and brighten their day. 

By the way, smiling and looking for the silver lining is one of the best ways to rise above difficult times. Here are five more: 

Play The Long Game

Bad “times” seem to last forever! It doesn’t help that the news, and society as a whole, tend to focus on everything that’s going wrong.

They make the future look gloomy, menacing, and hopeless. Why? Because they want your attention.

They’re not worth listening to; tune them out, and persevere patiently because better days are on the way!

Bad times never last, even though they seem to stretch on forever! Remind yourself that this, too, shall pass.

Play the long game and have faith in yourself. 

Remember Your Strengths

No one is perfectly balanced or well-rounded; we all have strengths and weaknesses. It’s so tempting to focus on our shortcomings and flaws when struggling through difficult times. 

But all that does is disempower you, making you feel helpless and at the mercy of your circumstances and incapable of rising above your problems. 

Focus on your strengths to deal with self-doubt! And stop comparing yourself to others while you’re at it.

Reclaim your power and confidence; stop giving it away.

Honor Your Progress

One of the ways to make it through difficult times is to measure how far you’ve come! Maybe you’re not where you want to be but guess what? You’re not where you were either! You’re making progress.

At the very least, you’re wiser from everything you’ve learned. You have more experience and are more resourceful! 

You’re better, stronger, and more insightful.

By honoring your progress and celebrating your journey, you break free from a sense of learned helplessness to motivate yourself to take inspired action toward your dreams and goals.

Count Your Blessings NOT Your Burdens 

Everyone has dark days and goes through difficult times. But gratitude makes those moments less gloomy.

It’s easy to focus on our problems, pain, and loss, but it’s hard to feel depressed and grateful simultaneously. When going through difficult times, count your blessings, not your burdens. You might have a few problems, but not everything about your life is terrible; there are some good things – some bright spots! Choose to focus on those. Be grateful for the things that are going well in your life.

If you’re going through difficult times in one or two areas of your life, look at the areas where things are going well! Maybe you’re having relationship problems, but your career is solid, and it’s putting food on the table and a roof over your head.

Maybe things aren’t going so great at work, but you have good health and even greater friends who love and support you. 

And what about life’s simple pleasures that we fail to appreciate? Like a beautiful sunrise, flowers, smiles, relaxing walks in the evening air, or your favorite dessert. 

When you change your perspective to be grateful, things don’t seem as bad. 

Grow from Your Experiences & Setbacks

How you define what’s happening to you makes all the difference. You can believe yourself to be a failure who’s made a mess of everything, or you can learn and grow from your “mistakes.”

A wise person gives thoughtful contemplation to their life so they can grow and improve. 

Use mistakes as feedback to make course adjustments. Trial and error is a part of life. 

Learning that you’re going in the wrong direction isn’t the problem. Choosing to keep going in the wrong direction is the issue.

Evaluate your life – your beliefs, actions, feelings, and choices – to figure out why certain things are happening to you so you can learn and do something about it. With time, you’ll be able to turn your life around. 

Everybody goes through dark valleys, but you have a lot to do with how long it takes before you see the light again and reach the other side.