Managing Yourself In Times Of Difficulty by Julia Armstrong

Life is a challenging journey. Our society today does not readily prepare us for the hard times, our culture seeming to emphasise quick ways out, easing pain through drugs, painkillers, alcohol, creating a chimera of safety. We put value on materialism, and the advancement of technology has created a fast and glamorous world where everything appears to be created perfectly and instantly. The progression is awe-inspiring and of course does allow for support in difficult times – advancements in medicine, for example, and an increase in creative possibilities.

But difficult times are part of being human, part of experiencing life. We live in a world of polarity where the flow cannot exist without the ebb – the yin and the yang of life today, and always. Right beside joy lies sadness, without night there would be no day, no light without the dark. We live in a connected world, we vibrate and pulsate with energy and so we too exist within these binaries - the light and the dark, the male and the female, the creative and the destructive - all these states lie within and without each human being. If we can embrace this concept, then we can approach the times when we seem to be experiencing more sadness than joy, more loss than gain, more ebb than flow, with an understanding of their necessity, knowing that it is a phase, more willing to go with the flow as well as seeking support to help us through.

As human beings we are fortunate in that we can change our lives by changing our attitude. When our lives are challenging and things do not seem to be going our way, it is possible to change the effect of our trouble simply by altering how we view it. This is not to suggest that we should in any way minimise what may be occurring, but instead work with it, understand it and thereby take control of it. We can do this perhaps by looking outwards, finding that there are many other people who will be experiencing or have experienced what we are going through. We can draw on the wisdom and support of others through books, groups, friends or counsellors who can then guide us inward and show us where we may need to change to accommodate what is occurring.

It can take time to know that within every step of the human journey there will be an opportunity for growth, for learning and for healing and that there will always be a window opening as the door behind us is shutting. There will be a new vision ahead in place of the lost one that is crumbling at our feet.

The way in which we view the world, the position we take and the filter through which we view our life is what creates our reality, a reality which can be expanded through conversation and dialogue with others. If we keep an open mind and really listen we will learn and grow through all the dialogues we engage in.

So, if you are experiencing a difficult time in your life, seek support from others, stop to think about the position you are viewing the problems from and resist going down into a spiral of despair. There is always support to guide us when we need it. Take more care of yourself than usual, which can be challenging as it is often the difficult times when we neglect ourselves. Resist any self blame or self hatred and care for yourself as if you were your own best friend. Make sure you sleep and eat well so that you have the strength to manage yourself. Take one day at a time and have faith that all will be well, however unlikely this may seem. With this attitude you can keep taking little steps forward. There is always a way forward, always, and within knowing this you are more likely to look to what you can do to help yourself rather than feeling you have nowhere to turn.

Copyright 2008 Julia Armstrong, author of Running To Learn | Julia Armstrong's Web Site