In today’s hectic world it seems as if everyone you encounter is facing some sort of major upheaval in their life. Relationships are changing or ending, others are facing financial problems – even the good stuff like an expanded family or annual holidays can’t help but add to the stress. With so much change it’s easy to sometimes feel just like a ping pong ball being bounced around instead of in control of your own life.
Turmoil Has Its Good Points
Some issues such as home loss or death or injury of loved ones is nothing to make light of by any means. But life, in all its complexity, always seems to have something major going on – something we have to deal with and face, or ignore and hope it goes away. Problems rarely ever do just magically disappear. But the one advantage of turmoil is that when Life’s frenzy gets overwhelming it forces us to really look at what matters to us. Hard times strip everything superficial down to the bone and makes us take a cold hard look at our priorities.
Turmoil can show us what we’re made of.
When it’s all hitting the fan how we as individuals react can be telling. Do you shut down and self-medicate? Or do you throw on a pair of running shoes and get moving? When someone hits rock bottom financially, romantically, you name it, the one winning piece of news is that it crystallizes just how very little we have control of. It also highlights the things we can tackle.
For instance, say everything’s going wrong AND you need to lose 50 lbs to top it all off. Right there you’ve got one thing that you can personally control. This isn’t to say it will be easy; it will take work, dedication, support – but with each mile walked or each good day without putting on the pounds you will have at least one corner of your life where you feel like you own it.
You will also have a positive place to put some of your focus. Sure it’s mostly a mental psych out but I recently started walking an hour every day, and now I look at it as my treat instead of my chore. As cheesy as it sounds I thank my legs, my arms, my life for giving me the chance to do it because I have friends who can’t walk; I have a gift in my own two legs. I’ve also gotten into the game of “how well can I eat today?” and I’m into the tekkie tools (from websites to phone apps) that support me.
Has it resolved any of my other problems? No. But it’s helping me to feel strong again, to feel capable and confident.
So whatever you choose, joining a softball team, learning to paddle board or just putting one foot in front of the other – when life gets you down get moving. The rest of your woes won’t magically disappear but once you see the results of your applied focus and effort you will most likely see how to apply such problem-solving skills to the issues that once seemed insurmountable.
Turmoil Has Its Good Points
Some issues such as home loss or death or injury of loved ones is nothing to make light of by any means. But life, in all its complexity, always seems to have something major going on – something we have to deal with and face, or ignore and hope it goes away. Problems rarely ever do just magically disappear. But the one advantage of turmoil is that when Life’s frenzy gets overwhelming it forces us to really look at what matters to us. Hard times strip everything superficial down to the bone and makes us take a cold hard look at our priorities.
Turmoil can show us what we’re made of.
When it’s all hitting the fan how we as individuals react can be telling. Do you shut down and self-medicate? Or do you throw on a pair of running shoes and get moving? When someone hits rock bottom financially, romantically, you name it, the one winning piece of news is that it crystallizes just how very little we have control of. It also highlights the things we can tackle.
For instance, say everything’s going wrong AND you need to lose 50 lbs to top it all off. Right there you’ve got one thing that you can personally control. This isn’t to say it will be easy; it will take work, dedication, support – but with each mile walked or each good day without putting on the pounds you will have at least one corner of your life where you feel like you own it.
You will also have a positive place to put some of your focus. Sure it’s mostly a mental psych out but I recently started walking an hour every day, and now I look at it as my treat instead of my chore. As cheesy as it sounds I thank my legs, my arms, my life for giving me the chance to do it because I have friends who can’t walk; I have a gift in my own two legs. I’ve also gotten into the game of “how well can I eat today?” and I’m into the tekkie tools (from websites to phone apps) that support me.
Has it resolved any of my other problems? No. But it’s helping me to feel strong again, to feel capable and confident.
So whatever you choose, joining a softball team, learning to paddle board or just putting one foot in front of the other – when life gets you down get moving. The rest of your woes won’t magically disappear but once you see the results of your applied focus and effort you will most likely see how to apply such problem-solving skills to the issues that once seemed insurmountable.
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