 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
 |
10 Survival Strategies to Overcoming Adversity and Being Happy
If one thing is for certain, each of us will experience some form of adversity while we are still breathing on this Earth. Unfortunately, some of us will experience more than our fair share of adversity, either in the workplace or in our personal lives. Over the years, I feel I have been fortunate to experience unpleasant and often times, life-altering situations. Although at times I find it difficult to sustain a positive attitude while working through adverse situations, whether it be the lose of a job, a relationship breakup, looked over for a promotion or battling a major health issue, I know deep down that by working through and learning to find purpose and meaning in these situations is where I will encounter my greatest triumphs. I have often said "we may 'go' through adversity, but we may not know how to 'get' through adversity." Each time I experience something unpleasant I ask myself "what can I learn from this situation and how has my past behavior contributed to my current state?" Instead of burying my head in the sand just waiting for time to pass, or the Universe to forget about the situation, I actively work through the adversity, which helps ease the pain and frustration. As I assess what I have learned and how I have grown through the years, I have shaped 10 survival strategies that have allowed me to get through the tough times. They include: * Patience - This could be the hardest of all to achieve although one of the first thing we must develop when faced with adversity. The key to developing patience is to know in the end everything will work out the way it's intended to. Also key to developing patience is surrendering your self to the fact that there is a time frame for everything. I like to use the analogy - that if you want to have a baby even though you (or your wife) may be pregnant you still have to wait the gestation period before the baby actually arrives. * Forgiveness - Forgive the other person for wronging you. By not allowing yourself to forgive you utilize a great deal of negative energy as you harbor old thoughts and feelings. Learn to forgive and use this same energy in a positive way to take back your life. While forgiving the other person make certain you forgive your self for any misgivings or shortcomings, otherwise half the negative energy still remains. * Acceptance -Accept the hand you were dealt - even a pair deuces can win the game. * Thankfulness - Be thankful for the adversity. Adversity is God's way of saying "you are worthy of my teachings." * Detachment - We have all heard the phrase - "If you love something, set it free. If it comes back to you it's yours. If it doesn't, it never was." If something is meant to be a part of your life, it will materialize, so there is no need to desperately hold onto anything. * Understanding: Why This vs. Why Me? - I feel our first inclination when something negative happens to us we ask "why me?" Normally asking this question doesn't provide any answers other than making us feel guilty for having asked it in the first place - really, why not you? No one is immune to pain. Simply reword the question and ask "why this?" By asking "why this" it typically leads us to understanding our past thoughts and actions that may have (karmically) contributed to our current state, allowing us to get to the root of the situation. * Meditation or Quiet Time - I always say "it is only in the silence can we hear God's voice." Allow for quiet time to reflect up your desires and listen closely and intently to what is happening all around you - you will find your answers in the silence. * Maintain a Creative Mind - Eliminate boredom otherwise it will lead you toward frustration and depression. Take up a hobby, do some writing, volunteer your time or spend time with friends and family. Any, or all of this, will make you feel good about yourself, allowing you to want to move forward. * Work Toward the Future - Even if you do not feel things are moving forward, work on creating the future you desire. You can plant tiny seeds by going back to school, read material that is related to your desires, commit by writing out your goals and desires or network with like-minded people. Each step you take, no matter how small moves you toward your future. * Trust - Let God and let God. All we really have control over is our actions and a gut feeling (or hearts desire) of what we hope the outcome of our lives to be. The rest is up to a higher power greater than our own. Trust the Universe will provide you with exactly what you need when you need it. Linda Furiate is a personal coach, mentor, astrologer and author. She is also the creator and host of Portraits in Determination, a cable access TV program showcasing the lives of those who have suffered adversity and have grown emotionally and spiritually as a result of their experiences. Stayed tuned for October 21, 2005 @ 4:00 p.m. PST to hear live on the internet a weekly radio version of the show - log onto http://www.health.voiceamerica.com For more information log onto http://www.portraitsindetermination.com
MORE RESOURCES:
CareerBliss Announces the Ten Happiest Companies for Veterans for 2012 - MarketWatch (press release)
Google News |
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Happiness as a Habit Health and Happiness are the two things that most people will tell you they desire most. Ask a parent what they want most for their child and they will almost always say, "I really don't care, as long as they are healthy and happy. Reframing with NLP For Enhanced Happiness I used to work for the Independent National Newspaper in Canary Wharf, London. I can remember in the build up to Christmas, my department was having a large & expensive new computer system installed because the newspaper was being relaunched, it was when Andrew Marr and Rosie Boycott were becoming joint editors, I digress?. Seven Strategies You Need to Know About Strengthening Your Self-Esteem Did you know that your life's success in all areas is directly related to having a healthy self-esteem? You've heard the clich "You are what you eat." Many would also argue that "You are what you think. Why Do We Feel Happiness? Although many for us strive for happiness in our daily lives to think of it as only a goal is I feel missing the true power of this very important emotion.In order to understand what I mean by this let me suggest a short exercise. Magickal Baths Taking a Magickal Bath doesn't have to be complicated. It can be as simple as running to your local drug or beauty supply and buying a product that is appropriately scented or contains an herb or essential oil. Choose Happiness It's a beautiful spring day in Beverly Hills, California. I'm looking out my window at elm trees in full leaf and roses in full bloom, and thinking about the people who helped me get where I am today. 7 Keys to a Happy Life 1. Do not act in order to receive a payoff. If You Can Dream It you Can Do It! Confuscious, the Chinese Philospher is quoted as saying : "I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. 4 Steps to Use Fears as Friends: Don't be a Thunder Dog! Imagine humungous, bulbous, billowing alto-cumulus clouds building higher and higher in the sky. They are as black as tar at the bottom and snowy white at the top. The Most Beautiful Flowers The most beautiful flowers, in conjunction with their design and color schemes, create feelings that enhance our mood. They are a simple and sincere way to lift our spirits. It's Good to be Goofy To paraphrase a saying my mother liked to use occasionally, "The whole world is goofy - except you and me. And sometimes I'm not too sure about you!"Rest assured that no matter who we are or what we do, there is at least a handful of people somewhere in this world who are convinced that we're not rowing with both oars in the water. No Happiness Without Patience I'm searching for modern happiness. The old-fashioned kind takes just too long. The Happiness of Others Is there any necessary connection between our actions and the happiness of others? Disregarding for a moment the murkiness of the definitions of "actions" in philosophical literature - two types of answers were hitherto provided.Sentient Beings (referred to, in this essay, as "Humans" or "persons") seem either to limit each other - or to enhance each other's actions. Divining Your Karmic Number Your karmic number interpretation tells you what you need to do in order to correct your actions from previous lives. It can also help provide invaluable instruction as to what to do so that you can reap the rewards of the seeds that you sow in this life. Happiness What is happiness? If we mean by it a state of fulfillment, when everything is going our way, in terms of results as well as efforts (which requires a providential combination of pluck and luck), then it cannot simply be willed; it is partly, if not largely, a gift of fate.Having said this, even this sort of happiness is a product of positive thinking and positive action, with good fortune lending a helping hand. How To Experience A Richer, Deeper, And Fuller Life When we choose to move beyond the boundaries of the ego, we choose to step into a different world. We find ourselves above the matrix of conceived causality, alive on a unique plane of experience. See for Yourself : 12 Step Tools Can Bring Happy, Joyous and Free into Everyones Life We are all familiar with or have heard of the many Twelve Step programs and communities. The reason the 12 Steps are so effective in helping people create happy, joyous and free lives is because it is a program of solution based on principles written so simply that anyone can use them in their daily lives. Simple Pleasures: Ingredients to Feed Your Spirit. "When we do something we love, again and again, our life comes to hold the fragrance of that thing. ~ Wayne MullenCold air slips through the cracks in my doorway and around my windows. Keeping You Confident! We can all be confident when we are sure of ourselves and knowledgeable about the situation in which we find ourselves. But what happens when we are not so sure and when we are forced to step outside our comfort zone? What happens to our thinking?First we need to control our thinking then we need to develop techniques for remaining confident in a wide variety of scenarios and to catch ourselves when confidence begins to wane. What Is Happiness? What is it that everyone is seeking? Happiness with no sorrow. A continuous happiness with no taint whatsoever of sorrow.
|
|
|
 |
 |
