My life feels really messy right now. There are days when I feel like I’m on the right track, and then there are days (like today) when I feel like I was punched in the gut. Not once, not twice, but THREE times. Three things that weren’t ideal surfaced today, and all were bad. One would have been bad enough, but THREE?
I notice that whenever I feel strong, like I’m making real progress on this living life true journey, a day like today shows up to test me. Usually, this would throw me off for an entire day, and I’d struggle with self-doubt and negative self-talk. I’ll be honest, I did have some of that today. But for the first time in a long time, I didn’t let it completely derail everything. I focused on controlling my thoughts and managing my energy. I went for a walk, listened to calming music, and wrote in my journal. I worked hard not to allow myself to spiral, which is what I used to do. I decided to put all of the things I’ve been working on into practice, and for the first time in a long time, it worked. Are my problems resolved? Of course not. But I have a clear head, and will be in a good place to tackle these issues tomorrow.
The world has a way of throwing us off course. It would be easy to allow things to knock us down and keep us down. But it’s important to acknowledge these things and do what we can do to get back on track. The more time I spend working on myself, the more I realize how important it is to self-reflect and pay attention to what I’m feeling, good and bad.
How do you handle it when unexpected problems come up? What helps you get through tough times?