Okay, so take this from someone who managed to get her car towed, got two parking violations, and lost her phone twice all within the same month. Life really sucks sometimes; there are periods of time where it feels like every possible bad situation that could happen, happens. It’s easy to get caught up in the worst of it and spiral down into a negative pit of self-pity. From this past month, the biggest thing I’ve learned is to look at everything in a bigger picture. What happened today won’t determine what’s going to happen a week from now (even though it seems like it will). Here are some things to keep in mind when you want to overcome life’s sucker punches:
1. Remember That Someone Has It Worse:
When I came home to find my car wasn’t in my parking spot and had been towed, I immediately started to freak out—as any college student or person would. Anyone who looked at me the wrong way was a potential victim of my wrath. Standing in the two-hour line at the Columbus Impound Lot, I realized just how backwards I was being. While it was unfortunate that I made the error of parking in the wrong spot, and that my wallet was definitely going to take a major blow, some people don’t have the opportunity to own or car or even have a drivers’ license. I was going to pay my fine and get my car back in a short period of time; I was healthy, alive and able to drive a working vehicle home. The realization of just how lucky I was in what seemed like an unlucky situation, made it clear that I needed to calm down.
2. Know That Everything Works Itself Out:
In the pursuit of finding a job, there was a period of time that nothing seemed to fall through. It was deflating to my spirit. In this scenario, most people start to lose confidence and get the idea that nothing will ever fall into place the way we want. To overcome this feeling, start with letting go of the idea of a ‘perfect scenario’. Sometimes what we want isn’t necessarily what is meant to be. We can’t always be in control of life; we have to hand over the reigns. Not getting the job that I worked so hard for opened up the door for another that I had no idea about. If I had gone with the other, I wouldn’t have had the opportunity that I have today. Things work themselves out for the positive. We just have to trust in the unknown—even though it’s terrifying at times.
3. Keep In Mind That Bad Situations Make You Stronger:
Life’s ultimate test is to see how far you can go without breaking. When one bad thing happens, sometimes there’s a snowball effect that pushes you to that breaking point. For all the college students out there: we especially find ourselves searching for that balance between school, jobs, relationships, and extracurriculars - it’s extremely difficult. Add on parking violations, missed appointments, and failed exams it deteriorates your faith in yourself. Keep in mind that when you get through that hell week of absolute torture, it’s an accomplishment. You’ve pushed yourself to that mental breaking point, and got through it; latch on to that. These negative moments will teach you that there are always going to be worse situations and times, but that you are capable of overcoming them.
So, ladies and gentlemen, we can all agree that life really can hate us at times--or so it seems. However, these moments define who we are. Chances are a year from now, everything you're worried about won't matter. Take control of the things you can and let what you don't have control over figure itself out. Try and laugh about it even, because in the end it's not always that serious. Life is just one big experience that should be lived to the fullest. Go ahead and punch life right back in it's face--I know I am.
