They say the hardest thing is to know yourself, and when you do that, you have mastered life. A lot of us turn a blind eye on our own weaknesses as it can often conjure up bad feelings and show where we as human beings are most vulnerable.
THE WORLD RIGHT NOW
We live in an ever-changing society where demands and expectations are exceptionally high. We have been accustomed to thinking that we have to get something, whether that be exotic holidays, money, high-valued goods and a perfect spouse in order to be happy.
In other words, we have been forced to live in an environment where we strive to attain happiness by having a complaint-free life and a life without problems.
Not a single person who has lived, who is living or who will exist in the future will be able to live a life without having any personal struggles, hurdles or failure along the way.
J.K Rowling once said, “You might never fail on the scale I did, but some failure in life is inevitable. It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all – in which case, you fail by default”.
Lately, the world seems to be lurching from one disaster to the next. We are currently experiencing a global pandemic with Covid, and it often feels like that there is no light at the end of the tunnel (certainly not for the time being that is).
In addition to this, there have been astronomical changes to how we conduct our daily lives, economic turmoil with the number of businesses closing, political uncertainty with Brexit negotiations, as well as an array of natural disasters.
BUILDING A STRONG FOUNDATION
With a lot of the above out of our control, collectively we can do things to help make things easier, but what can we do in our own personal lives to make life better whilst the world has seemed to have gone eerily quiet?
It’s far easier to stay in our comfort zones and sweep all of those bad feelings under the rug. But does this help us in the long run? Whether you are facing a global or personal crisis or even a mix of both, building resilience can help you cope with stress, overcome those tough days and help you look forward to the better days that will inevitably come.
THE GIANTS OF LIFE
Steve Jobs, Richard Branson, J.K Rowling, Thomas Edison, Simon Cowell, Stephen King, Oprah Winfrey, Walt Disney, Mother Teresa… all of these great people had challenges.
What if:
• Richard Branson didn’t start Virgin because of his dyslexia?
• Thomas Edison gave up on his 999th attempt of creating the light bulb?
• J.K Rowling didn’t continue writing Harry Potter because she couldn’t get published?
• Oprah Winfrey allowed her experience with sexual assault to define her life?
All of these great people used pain and suffering as fuel to propel themselves towards better things. They focused more on empowering their lives because of their blessings, their ability to grow higher and at the same time find ways to help others. When the going gets tough, the tough get going…
A successful person, in our opinion, isn’t someone who is living in a certain set circumstances but more a person who is living with a certain set of attitudes. Happiness isn’t achieved by eradicating all of the problems in our lives but rather learning how to deal with those personal inner conflicts and have the skillset to rise above them and enjoy all of the good things that life has to offer.
People often find inspiration from those who they can relate to. Think about it; you wouldn’t go to a personal trainer unless, they themselves, were in good shape and practised what they preach. You wouldn’t hold your greatest business hero in such high-regard if they themselves didn’t have examples of how they overcame adversity.
turning a negative into a positive
Someone is who unquestionably on the rise at the moment is a local Confidence and Mindset coach from Bedfordshire who helps women reach their potential through growing their confidence and stepping out of their limiting beliefs.
If you hadn’t met Jenna O’Keefe before, you’d think that her unshakable confidence and positive mental attitude is something that she’s naturally always had… think again.
On her website she writes, “I haven’t always felt confident. In fact in 2018 I hit rock bottom and had a complete confidence crisis. I was working in an advertising agency at the time, working long hard exhausting hours, my work never felt good enough. When I wasn’t working I was out drinking. When I wasn’t out drinking I spent my time trying to impress men I didn’t know on dating apps.
It all became too much, my body said no and that something had to change. I invested in my first coach. I read, I researched, I went to therapy, I started my journey to awakening, to working WITH my body instead of against it. I created a deep unshakable confidence from the inside out (without needing validation from bosses, friends or shit men on tinder)“.
Jenna is another example of someone who has recreated herself out of a personal crisis and harnessed it to create positive change. Inspiration can come in all forms but in more cases than not, it’s the darkest moments that really force us to reach within ourselves and find that inner light. If you get a chance, head over to her website.
a step forward
We as humans naturally keep a tally of the things we don’t want in our lives such as a cheap mobile, a small flat, an old car or a difficult partner… The list goes on.
Counting our troubles we forget about the blessings in our lives.
- A cheap mobile allows us to stay connected to those who are closest to us, this is especially useful during these times.
- A small flat is still a home. It’s better to have a roof over your head compared to sleeping on the streets.
- An old car still allows you to get to where you are going, rather than having to wait for the bus on a cold Monday morning.
- A difficult partner is still a significant other. Some people go their whole lives without finding love at all.
Something to Leave You With
Hard times are often blessings in disguise. We must let go and let life strengthen us and find that inner-power. Bad things will unquestionably change and we will not feel this way forever.
“Sometimes the hardest lessons to learn are the ones our spirit needs most. Our past was never a mistake if we learned from it. So take all the crazy experiences and lessons and place them in a box labelled Thank you” – Manisha Shrestha Bundela.
We have had a “annus horribilis” but now is the time to be positive and look forward!
From the team at Nettonic may we wish you all a Merry Christmas and a very Happy 2021.
