Rock Bottom in Life — Is It a Blessing or a Curse?

What it means to be at the bottom in life

Life has its way of dealing with us apart from how we go about it. At times, things go our way even when we don’t expect it. Sometimes, it’s the other way round.

If you aren’t the type of person who understands how things work, you’ll be tempted to do the unnecessary. You know what I’m talking about. Don’t you?

If you don’t know, that’s how things are concerning this life. It’s not always about how we want things to be but rather how life itself wants things to be for us. And I say this because most of us, often when things don’t go our ways as we anticipate, tend to crumble and think all is lost, and we can’t start over again or make something out of the circumstance.

As you and I know, this mindset doesn’t help but make the situation even worse. It clouds our mind and we cannot see the good things. Despite all the ugly conditions, some people can turn things around and even make their lives better than it was. It indicates that we can do the same.

And down-moments in life aren’t destructive. It is an opportunity to thrive.

The impact of low moments in life

Life’s rock bottom or low moments aren’t a curse but a true blessing. Let me state it emphatically. Because, in these moments, we are revealed to our authentic and utmost selves.

In your moments of pain, sorrow, hardship, etc., you’re brought to your true self — who you really are. You get to know who your friends and enemies are. You’ll know your strengths and weaknesses as well.

When things in life are going well, everybody can be everybody. But our true nature is known when life knocks us down.

Who you are, how you respond to life are known at rock bottom. It’s also where your mind can be at its sharpest — doing real thinking on solving problems and dealing with situations. Nothing is done that’s worthy of doing without this position in life.

I’m living proof of it. That, everything that I’m doing with my life now is a result of the low moment. And there are many people out there who are what they are because of this position that life placed them.

American businessman, diplomat, and politician, Jon Huntsman said, “Humans seldomly have created anything of lasting value unless they were tried or hurting”

Explaining the quote above, we humans can only do and achieve more extraordinary things when we are in our low moments in life. And Jon Huntsman said this at the intense moment of his life from the lessons he learned from an experience he went through when his companies went bankrupt, and he needed to bring it back to life.

How to get the best out of unpleasant situations

To get anything significant from any unpleasant situation is to, first of all, acknowledge and understand that it’s not meant to break but to make you. Because there’s no way, you can overcome any difficulties in life without embracing them.

I like the way Tony Robbins put it in his book, Awaken the Giant Within, where he puts it in the form of questions to help you get an accurate picture of the issue you’re dealing with.

What is this situation trying to teach me? What can I learn from it? How can I use it?

He uses the same type of questions in his seminars to help people solve their life problems. From a problem-solving perspective, we all know what questions can help us achieve when we use them—actually the right ones.

By asking these questions and the more empowering ones that can open you up for great answers and solutions, you can get the best out of the low moment you are. Here are some examples of questions you can use to solve life’s daily problems;

How did I get to this spot? What did I do wrong? Why? Understanding the root cause of the problem or the mistakes you made to be in that difficult situation.
What is this situation trying to teach me? What can I learn from it? Points you to not only the mistakes you did, and you’re in that position but lessons you need to learn and every knowledge you’re supposed to get from the situation to become even better and avoid a recurrence of the problem in the future.
How do I solve it, or How do I get out of it? This is about the solutions you need to get out of the situation.
Whose help will I need? What resources are required for me to solve this situation once and for all? It’s about the people whose help you’ll need and resources to solve the problem and get out of it.
How can I use it? This points you to how you can use the situation to better yourself and your life.
What things I shouldn’t do to have such an experience again? It takes you to the things, people you must avoid to not go back to that position in life again.

When I was in my low moment and looking for solutions, asking myself this question helped me know the people and things that I mustn’t associate with to be free and live the life I want. When I got rid of them, truthfully, life became less stressful and problem-free for me. And you want to know that, too. Because if you don’t, nothing will change. Things will remain as they are and even become tougher.

You must also never forget in searching for the answers to these questions as you try to solve your problem, you must think on a piece of paper as it helps make things more transparent and easy for you than just doing the thinking and saving your answers in your head at the same time.

Understand this one thing when dealing with situations

The roman emperor and philosopher Marcus Aurelius once said, “Our life is what our thoughts make it.”

When dealing with life situations, people whine and complain as if it was someone’s fault they are in such a position. They come up with statements such as; “Why me”? How can this happen to me”? “What did I do wrong to deserve this”? etc.

These statements, according to psychology, are disempowering. They shut down the brain’s creative centers — the very parts of the brain that help you with innovative answers to solve the problem from functioning.

In trying to solve the difficulties in your life, keep in mind that life is all about perspective. Per the view, we attach to things, our outcomes, and results. Therefore, you must attach the right perspective, understand that the problem hasn’t come to break you but help you become even better than you were.

You must think positive thoughts and ask empowering questions that can help you find your way around the problem to solve it once and for all listed above. And by doing this, you’re on your way to getting the best out of life’s trials and difficulties.

Final thoughts

Rock bottoms in life, as already talked about, are a blessing. There are many out there who are living testimonies of it, including myself. That, being able to write this article to inform you about it is by those experiences.

Therefore, whenever you experience an obstacle or low moment in your life, never think disempowering thoughts and conclude that all is over and life is unfair. Instead, be grateful. Because it’s through those moments, we become better humans, and our lives get its’ true meaning.

Avoid playing victimhood games and blaming others and circumstances. But embrace the difficulty, and find the opportunity in it because, as they say, there’s a blessing in every test; if you can search for that silver lining, your life will be great.

Embrace the difficulty. It’s there to make you great.

Thank you for reading.

If you want to read more of my writings, you may read the following articles.

You can also share your outstanding stories and inspire others. Just click the below image and be a writer for The Masterpiece.