Tough Times Teach You The Best Life Lessons
It’s usually a wake-up call for many
No one wants to go through tough times. Many people don’t even like to say it when they do.
Our picture-perfect instagram and facebook pictures, daily uplifting posts and 'I am fine' replies when we are not, all show that people prefer to go through tough times secretly.
Whether it’s a job -loss, disappointment, a clearly hopeless situation, loss of a loved one, a failed relationship, hardship or anything else that causes your world to spin, life usually has a way of revealing itself in the most unexpected way.
Difficult experiences come with life lessons and here are some things to remember if you are going through a hard time :
1. Tough times are inevitable
I have always been a firm believer in the fact that there are certain things beyond man’s control.
No matter how hard one tries, you can’t have ready-answers and solutions to everything.
Just as we can’t cheat nature, hardship and adversity exist so we can thrive and survive.
It’s easy to feel helpless and hopeless when things are not working according to how we planned. Indeed, life comes with its twists and turns.
However, tough times come with change and change comes with growth.
Richard Branson once said, “Tough times are inevitable in life and in business. But how you compose yourself during those times defines your spirit and will define your future.”
Life is full of challenges and what makes us human is our ability to deal with these challenges as they come.
A mixture of certainty and uncertainty is what makes life what it is. Without ups and downs, we can’t live life to the fullest.
Remember, you can’t control how things happen, you can only control your reaction to the situation.
While we can’t entirely avoid some situations, building resilience and staying calm could be appropriate coping mechanisms to adopt if we desire to overcome.
2. Tough times show how strong you are as a person
Difficult times often reveal a version of ourselves which we never knew existed.
Although we may be forced to embrace the situation we are in because there is no better choice, it usually proves to be a true test of the strength of our character.
Hard times could be tough and frustrating. Sometimes we lose hope and are uncertain of what the future holds.
Going through repeated failures could force you to look at life differently and question your choices.
Nevertheless, life is a great reminder that there are so many things we have no control over, no matter how hard we try.
In the words of Isabelle Allende, “we all have unsuspected reserve of strength inside us that emerges when life puts us to test.”
In moments of confusion and uncertainty, it could feel like life is going downhill. However, moments of hardship are there to teach us about endurance, perseverance and to build our personal character.
Shilagh Mirgain, a health psychologist notes that “we can shut down emotionally and let ourselves become hardened by it, or we can grow from the experience.”
“Hard times are like a washing machine, they twist, turn and knock us around. But in the end, we come out cleaner, brighter and better than before.”- Muskan Mangal
3. Tough times teach you who your real friends are
As humans, we can’t survive alone.
We often need encouragement, love and reassurance from the people around us.
There is a saying: “No man is an island.” We should not underestimate the importance of well-meaning family members and friends.
Through thick and thin, life always reveals who truly matters.
There are fair-weather friends who are only available when the going is good. At the first sign of trouble, they flee!
It’s not unexpected that your circle of friends could get smaller when you are dealing with a tough situation.
People run real quickly at the sign of any kind of problem, no one wants to hear it. The ones that grab you and don’t let go, hug and hold you through it, those are true friends who will never give up on you. - Liz Deleon
Good friends don’t just up and leave when the going gets tough.
However, while we expect support and love from our friends and loved ones, we should make efforts to be there for them too in their time of need. This is what makes it all worth it.
4. Difficult times don’t last forever
Truly, it’s not over until it’s over
In recent times, a lot has happened to so many people during the pandemic. While some have dealt with whatever they are facing relentlessly, others have been completely consumed by it.
Coping with difficulty is never easy.
The truth is, hard times will eventually fade away, with time.
Despite the unpredictability and uncertainty of life, we should make a decision to persevere till there’s a ray of sunshine.
What matters is how we deal with the situations we find ourselves in while it lasts. Whatever feelings we have is temporary because better days are always ahead.
When you are tested, will you rise to the occasion or swim and drown in it?
When all is said and done, will you emerge a better person or otherwise?
“Tough times don’t last, but tough people do. And I’ve been through some tough times, and I know a lot of people can recall tough times, and maybe are going through some tough times right now, but they don’t last.” — Alonzo Mourning
Joel Osteen notes that “there are some things you can only learn in a storm.”
Learning how to cope during tough times is necessary because :
- It forces you to look at life differently.
- It teaches you gratitude.
- It shows you what you could have done better.
Whatever the case may be, hard times come so we can learn from them.
“Breathe, darling. This is just a chapter, not your whole story.” — S. C Lourie
