Believe…
No matter what you are going through, you must believe…
- In your strength
- In your abilities
- In your worth
- In humanity
- In yourself!!!
Sometimes in life we find ourselves facing a life altering event of some sort. It could be the loss of a job, or the loss of a loved one. Perhaps you’ve suffered some sort of major medical crisis or traumatic injury. You may think I am being vague, and you’d be correct. I am intentionally being vague because what constitutes a major life changing event is often subjective and as such it varies from one person to another.
Despite the catalyst for your challenge, there are some common reactions and challenges. Depression and even grief are very common results which can add to decreased feelings of self-worth. Recognizing these emotions and their existence can aid you in facing the challenges of adjusting to the circumstances of your individual life challenge. While simply existing may seem counterintuitive to the point of this, sometimes just existing shows your desire and willingness to work through your challenges. Don’t sell yourself short, for sometimes willing yourself to survive is no small feat! The days when you feel up to it, believe in good things to come. The days you lack the strength or ability to believe this, just believe in making it through the minute, hour, and day in front of you. If you do this over and over, one day you will find yourself suddenly moving on in a positive new direction, despite your challenges.
Despite battling multiple major and chronic health issues and injuries over the last twenty years, I’ve had plenty of days where even I simply had to get through the next hour, and then the next one, one at a time until I made it through the day. Days like this, when I feel as if I just can’t go on, often leave me surprised that I made it through. On the very challenging days, ‘simply existing’ isn’t a sign of weakness. On the contrary I feel it is a sign of strength when you make it through any given day, despite your challenges. So believe in yourself, because if you don’t, how can you expect others to?
As time marches on and you adjust to your situation, you may well decide that while you understandably miss your previous sense of self, you can pursue another passion you hadn’t previously thought about. The only limit to what we can achieve, is our own perception of our situation. While very real limitations may in fact exist, it isn’t uncommon for us to feel that they are insurmountable. Sometimes what we perceive as a limitation, may actually reveal itself as a strength as you begin to work through things and pursue options you hadn’t previously thought about.
I highly recommend journaling to help you comprehend the flood of thoughts and emotions you may be experiencing. Write every day. Write especially on the days you don’t feel like it or just plain don’t want to. Later when you go back and read it days, week, months, or even years later, you will likely find things that surprise you. When you are in the midst of a major challenge, you may not be able to think clearly, or even understand everything you may be thinking or feeling. I’ve spoken with a great many people who swear by journaling to get the jumble of thoughts out of their head, onto paper where they suddenly find themselves more relaxed and thus more able to process all the thoughts. Some people report feeling a calm sense of objectivity when reading their own journal, as if it is someone else’s words that they are reading. This can give a fresh perspective on how to best manage the challenges before you.
Have you had a major challenge in your life that, despite it feeling insurmountable, you made it through? Feel free to share in the comments.
Above all else, remember to just believe….
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