I've been dealing with some hardship in life lately. It's hard for me to complain - though I still seem to find a way to do it - because my problems are not life or death. In fact, they are mostly financial.
Financial problems are one of the most interesting problems to have.
I mean, sit there and really think about it. When you think about financial problems that you're having, it feels like it's life or death. It may even feel like the world is crumbling around you and you don't know how to dig yourself out of the hole that you're in.
Yet, when you take a step back and evaluate life, does it seem so life or death anymore? Does it seem like the world is crumbling around you?
Or does it seem ridiculous. Does it seem like you're being a complainer. Are you able to shift your focus and instead, be positive. Be a positive force for good. Be present. Be a clear thinker.
Will Being an Unclear Thinker Help You or Hurt You?
When we're facing hardship, it's often easy to become a clouded thinker. We get dropped into the trenches - or so it feels - of the problems we are facing. It is as if the world is out to get us and everything turns negative.
You wake up in the morning and get hit with an unexpected bill for something. You didn't plan for this. You don't know how you're going to pay for this. You're going to have to dip into savings. You're going to have to sacrifice.
Suddenly, the world goes dark. You hate everything around you.
You walk around with a negative attitude. Suddenly, making your coffee feels like a chore. Sitting down and doing the work feels like a chore.
Going to the gym feels like a chore. People calling you pisses you off. People emailing you pisses you off. You need to eat lunch and that costs even more money.
Suddenly, everything is negative. You simply find everything to be another attack. When it rains, it poors, amirite?
Do This Instead
Instead of walking around with this "world is out to get me" attitude, let me walk you through an exercise that always helps me whenever I'm in a bad spot.
I look at the problem. I wonder: "is this life or death?". Will I literally (not metaphorically) die if this problem persists?
99.99999999999999999% of the time your answer is going to be no.
So what then? It means that you are an able body. An able mind. It means that you are still in the ring. The bell hasn't rung. The game isn't over.
You can act, right now. You can do something to move yourself in a positive direction.
Light and darkness work hand-in-hand. When something bad happens to you, I don't want you to sit around and say "oh what the f*ck else can go wrong?".
Doing that will only help you find more bullsh*t for life to throw at you! Instead, I want you to ask: "I know this is painful. I know this sucks. But I also know that there is something to gain here. How can this [insert_bad_thing] help me?"
Maybe you're running low on funds. How can this help me? This can help me be more motivated to work harder. To do a better job at what I do.
Maybe you're overweight and are struggling to lose weight. How can this help me? Maybe this is the sign that you need to take a harder look at what you're doing to lose weight and consider better options. Cut out X food and add Y more cardio.
Whatever it is you're facing in life, the best way to face it is with a clear head and a good attitude. Being pissed off will only make you an unclear thinker and it will definitely make you unhappy.
One certainty we have in life is that problems will always arise. There is no escaping them. Be aware of this and approach everything with a "can do" attitude and you will live a much happier life.