Handling Your Life With Care

When inner challenges bubble to the surface of your life, how do you handle them?

Do you:

a. Ask why me? It's not fair.
b. Give in, isolate yourself, or wallow in it, feeling that you are doomed and believe that things will never change?
c. Go into overdrive, or panic mode searching for anything and everything that will keep you busy.
d. Believe that you are a failure or not good enough so why try?

The past few months I have waded through the waters of some inner challenges. To be honest, I did ask, "why me, why now, it's not fair." I heard the voice of failure and heard it's words say, "your not good enough." I admit, I was not on the mountaintop of my life, and try as I might I could not shake the feeling that I was heading towards the bottomless pit. What happened next, (don't you love it when there is a "what happened next," in the story), were a series of events, awareness's and Spiritual insights that occurred to guide me back towards the light at the end of the tunnel.

Below are some insights I am learning from my experience that I want to share with you. My hope is that you will find them useful if you are in a similar challenge.

Take time to listen to your Spirit. What sense do you get when you ask yourself, what is God up to in my life right now? I kept sensing surrender, let go. I did not know exactly what this meant or what it looked like but in time, the meaning started to unfold. Clarity comes when we are being still and willing to face what is in front of us. Fortunately, we do not have to face it alone.

Change your mindset. When the trials of life bubble up embrace them for being there for a reason, an opportunity. If we push them beneath the surface, we let pass what could have been an astounding change for our lives. No need to feel stuck, there is always a way through to the other side but we have to choose. Do we want growth and change? Choosing to wade instead of wallow will bring about growth. Neither path is easy, but at least there is a future and a hope if we move forward.

Listen to your body. Our bodies will give us warning signs if we will pay attention. Depression, anxiety, worry, constant headaches or stomachaches can be signs that point toward something being wrong.
It may be time to enlist help. Visit your doctor, chiropractor or naturopath for your physical health. Hire a therapist, counselor or coach for your mental health. Do you pride yourself on being the lone ranger and a do it yourself attitude? How has that worked for you? If it's not working why not try a different approach? Have you heard that doing the same things over and over again and expecting different results is the definition of insanity?

Tell someone you feel safe with about it. Let yourself be vulnerable and see what happens. Safe, close friends or family members can be valuable support if you let them. It's okay if it's all about you for awhile, someday it will be all about them and you can be there to return the support. True friendship is not a one-sided relationship.

Be kind to yourself. Give yourself what you need during this time. It might be some space and time, or to not criticize or judge yourself so harshly. You are not doomed to be the victim; you have an active role to play in your life.