The funny thing about life is that it doesn’t owe us anything. You could be doing everything right, but at a drop of a hat, that can all change with no explanation. As humans, we have a desire to explain why things happen. Ever heard the clichéd saying “Everything happens for a reason?” You’ve probably had a friend tell you those exact words to offer comfort when you were surrendering to the weight of the world falling on your shoulders. It also probably provided zero comfort and might’ve made you a little frustrated. I don’t think everything happens for a reason. But I do think things just happen and your attitude can decide how you deal with these situations. If you go through these tough times with the intent to learn from them, you might be surprised at how much easier it is to overcome them.

Everything is temporary.

I don't know about you, but I find so much comfort in the fact that nothing lasts forever. Taking a big problem, and breaking it up into steps can make a huge, daunting situation much more manageable. At some point, whatever it is you're facing will be over and you will have survived it. Keeping that end point in mind will makes the now so much easier to endure.

Every struggle is a step forward.

If everything was always peachy, you would never grow and you would never learn. It would be impossible to fully enjoy the good times. Those difficult times can really teach you a lot about yourself. Just when you think you can't take one more thing falling apart, something else inevitably does and the sky doesn't fall; you survive. You can handle so much more than you give yourself credit for, so remember that when it seems like the universe is working against you.

Karma works in mysterious ways.

I'm a big believer in karma. Not necessarily the entire "if you're a bad person, you'll come back as a toad in your next life" (although the thought does give me a little satisfaction when encountering mean people). I'm more of a believer that the universe will balance itself out. Bad things will be followed by good things. They might not have the same magnitude (despite all my efforts, just because an airline cancels your flight does not mean they will give you a complimentary ticket of equal value, which would've been nice on this international flight), but it'll make you appreciate when something good does come, even if it is just having a window seat on the plane. Holding this optimistic attitude that something good will happen will make it so much easier to persevere.

Thrive, don't just survive.

Life is so good. It may not always seem like it all the time, but how a situation affects you is completely dependent on you. If you make the conscious effort to not let it affect you, it'll make it easier for you to get through it and you will come out a stronger person.

Of course all of this is easier said than done, but starting with one little change in perspective can improve the situation drastically. Don't sweat the small stuff, and hold out hope that maybe someday, you will get a complimentary plane ticket.