"Although the world is filled with suffering, it is also full of the overcoming it."
- Helen Keller
It can be very difficult to overcome hardships in life, especially when they negatively affect our mental and/or physical health. When we are faced with these hardships, it's our choice as to how we manage our response. It is at times when we feel our lowest that our resiliency and resolve are truly tested. While it can feel like a reason to feel sorry for ourselves and fall into even deeper despair, we can also see it as an opportunity to overcome our setback and potentially level up even further in life. It all comes down to our mindset.
Some people are inclined to give up on life when they feel they cannot take it any longer. Life handed them so many bad hands that they decide to stop folding their hands and choose to walk away from the poker table of life. This is their choice, but it can be easy to lose hope when nothing seems to be going well and the future seems bleak. This is why I believe hope and faith are so important to becoming more resilient and developing the ability to overcome anything life may throw at us, especially when we are at our lowest.
Photo by Mohamed Nohassi on Unsplash
Oprah Winfrey was sexually abused and impregnated by relatives at 14 years of age. Oprah did not lose hope. She had faith. She was determined to overcome the trauma and misfortune of her past and went on to become a global icon. Professional surfer Bethany Hamilton had her arm bitten off by a shark at the age of 13. Instead of giving up surfing, she instead went on to win multiple surfing competitions. There are so many success stories of people overcoming huge obstacles and setbacks to achieve their dreams. It came down to a choice for them. Let this situation define me, or rise like a phoenix from the ashes and spread my wings!
Hope and faith are two important ingredients to resiliency. Hope and faith help us to not give up and propel us to the finish line. Hope and faith are high octane fuel for the rollercoaster ride of life. They provide us the mental toughness that shapes our resiliency. Hope and faith can help us to overcome our biggest hardships. They help us to keep getting out of bed every morning during our low points. Hope and faith tell us that better days are ahead when we are unable to see for ourselves. Hopefully, hope and faith help you do the same.
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