There are times when life beats you. Takes something away that you thought you deserved. Fails you when you are hoping the most. And you will want to curl up in bed and sleep forever. I can’t change your outlook on life. I sometimes can’t change my outlook on life. But if you want to ever see the bright side of life again, you should do the opposite.
This advice was recently given to me in a time when I felt no security and everything I did felt like it ended in failure. This has stuck with me, partly because I picture “life” as some person watching and expecting me to lie down and accept failure. But in reality, I do a backflip out of bed and perform a circus act.
This probably wasn’t the advice the person was intending, but my brain likes to amuse myself. The point was rather to not accept failure. I’ve heard that countless times in numerous ways, but it stuck this time. Doing the opposite of telling yourself you can’t succeed in anything. Continuing to take risks and put yourself out there.
Maybe this primarily relates to creative fields. It is incredibly hard to let yourself be beaten down repeatedly in order to learn your craft. But you do learn, as hard a lesson it is to grasp. Is the learning worth it? If the answer is no, maybe you should change fields.
At the end of the day, all you’re guaranteed in life is your character. How you treat people. And if you’re lucky, how people love you. If I can be content with the kindness I show others and the love that others show me, that’s really all I need. Which is always easier said than done.
Life will fail you. Either lie down and accept defeat or do the opposite. Rely on yourself and those who care about you in order to get back up and fight for success. That’s what really makes life worth living.