How to Stay Positive During Tough Times & Emerge a Winner

Contributed by :Ms. Ivy Chakraborty

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Let me ask you a question: How do you manage to stay positive during tough times?

By tough times I mean any event or circumstance, in general, that tends to disturb your status quo and drag you out of your comfort zone.

It can be anything like a breakup, sudden illness of yours or anyone in your family, failing an exam, losing a job, loss in business or even a dear one’s death, etc.

How do you handle those situations? Do they break you or make

I, personally, believe that a tough situation is there to make us stronger and tougher. It is during these times that the toughness of our mind is tried. People respond differently to similar situations according to their own mental makeup (conditioning).

I work with students and I have seen them reacting differently towards similar situations. I have seen students who go depressed and become suicidal after failing an exam while there are others who, though disheartened, take it as learning to understand their efforts were not enough.

I have seen young boys and girls get heartbroken and think of ending their lives if they are dumped by their partners, while there are others who are pretty cool about breakups and are ready to move on.

So I sincerely believe that the power is not in the situation but how you respond to it that determines how your life will go on after the time has passed.

In Chinese, the word “Crisis” is written in such a way that it denotes danger and opportunity both.

This is because the ancient Chinese used to believe that every crisis situation bears within itself a seed of equal good. There is an opportunity in every crisis for us to learn and evolve.

Problems or Challenges?

My life changed completely after I started addressing my "problems” as “challenges.”

When you take a situation as a “problem” it triggers the stress response in our body. Stress hormones are released and the body goes straight into the Fight/Flight mode.

Rational thinking and idea generation is hampered during this phase. Its an extremely disempowering condition.You seem to have no control over your life. You feel helpless and victimized.

On the contrary, when you take the same situation as a challenge and are ready to face it head-on, your focus will shift on finding solutions. You are able to learn stuff and move on while still becoming stronger and wiser.

I would use a metaphor here to explain this.

Suppose you are the boss of your company. There is this guy who has joined your company a couple of months back. He is smart, talented, and enthusiastic. You see a lot of potential in him. Your company is going to open its new branch and you think this young man can manage the branch well.

Will you give him the big responsibility of carrying out such a crucial task just like this or would you like to evaluate his abilities first, before taking any decision?

Perhaps you would give him a small project first to see his leadership skills, whether he will be able to run the branch office in the future all by himself or not.

Most probably you would choose the second option. Right?

The superconscious (GOD) works in a similar fashion. It will try your skills and toughness before handing over to you something better, something great.

So, my dear friends, if you are going through a tough phase always remember you are being trained for something bigger.

See what is it that you can learn from it.

• If you have failed an exam, take it as an opportunity to prepare better for the next time.

• If you have lost your job, find out what skills you need to develop and hone to get a better job and become a master in your field.

• If you have suffered the loss in business, see where did you go wrong and how you can plan better and make better business decisions in the future.

• If you have been dumped by your partner, try to find out what mistakes you made and try to make yourself a better lover for someone worthier.

Always remember, if you are facing a challenge in life – GOD HAS A PLAN FOR YOU.