Defining oneself in times of difficulty

We all know what it feels like to experience hardship. We all experience difficulty regularly; therefore every one of us has a unique way of dealing with it.  

We all experience difficulty, it's part of being human.

Hardship and toil make us stronger. That sense of power and strength you experience after tackling difficulties is a feeling like no other. 

You feel infinite - the sky your limit.

However it is during that time of struggle that we must be our strongest. We must be able to sustain ourselves during the difficult moments; otherwise we will never experience the good times.

“Unless you have bad times, you can't appreciate the good times” 

– Joe Torre

So how do I personally get through the tough moments? I have three go-to methods that I rely upon:

#1- The Power of Mothers

My number one go to person in life is my Mum. It might sound  cliché, but she really is the one person I can count on to discuss absolutely anything. I believe that no matter how old you get, the majority of people never stop relying on their Mum.  Whether it is advice on boyfriends, where to travel, or parenting advice- your Mum has the answer to everything, or at least advice to start the thinking process. However, more than just knowledge, they have the ability to keep you calm. 

Your Mum keeps you grounded when you feel like the world is on fire and there is no way out. My Mum is my go-to person. 

Mums have the toughest job in the world but even in the toughest of times, they never fail.

#2- The Power of Keeping your cool

I always try and keep my cool.  Take a few deep breaths for instance.  The worst thing you can do in a stressful situation is freak out. 

Whenever I am stressed I make a conscious effort to not act like:

Because I don't want the situation to change to:

So I say:

I try to look like this guy:

And, act like this guy:

Stressing during a difficult time makes the situation worse. If you have a positive attitude you can accomplish anything you set your mind to.

Freaking out gets you nowhere, being calm takes you everywhere.

#3 Perspective

Sometimes, what we deem to be “difficult” is far from significant in comparison to others. Every time I am having rough day, I always put my problems in perspective with others around the world. I am  privileged to have access to water, food and shelter - everything is a gift.

We all experience difficulty and we all have our ways of coping. However, sometimes what we deem "difficult" is insignificant, to situations such as war and starvation. 

Put your difficulties into perspective, then you will truly understand what "difficult" is.