Take a deep breath.
Put a smile on your face.
Tell yourself these words: "It's going to be okay."
You've come too far in your life to give up.
Whether you're healing from wounds of your past or stressing over the question marks in your future, remind yourself that true happiness lies in making the most of the present. Things will get better over time.
If you're mired in relationship, health, or money struggles, rest assured that the worst storms often give way to much sunnier days. Never feel afraid to reach out -- whether to friends, family, a professional (or even to me) for a helping hand.
I know that sometimes being positive is easier said than done. Just when we think we've come out of a hole, life seems to put us into a deeper one.
But resigning ourselves to the opposite state of mind -- negativity -- will only serve to exacerbate the depression or anxiety we're already feeling. As long as we believe deep down that we have a fighting chance to come out of this funk, it can make a world of a difference.
As Teddy Roosevelt once quipped, "Believe you can and you're halfway there." And as Teddy's 5th cousin Franklin Roosevelt, the 32nd president of the U.S., said, "When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on."
It's the battles we face in life -- not times of tranquility, not times of prosperity -- that ultimately shape our character and make us stronger, wiser, and more resilient.
Life never ceases to test our mettle. It wants us to wave the white flag, but we must never, ever give in. Happiness is worth fighting for. Life is too short not to face adversity head on -- with everything we've got.
Many people assume that life is all about the things that happen to us. But if you think about it, it is more about how we deal with what happens to us -- how we react to unfolding events. We can either allow life to knock us down, or we can pick ourselves up and allow such circumstances to strengthen our resolve.
There's no better feeling than overcoming obstacles we once thought we could never surmount. Even during our darkest days, we must remind ourselves that, sooner or later, a light awaits us at the end of the tunnel -- even though we might not see it yet.
Never lose faith that things will work out. Never lose hope that you will rise above life's setbacks. You will succeed. You will prevail. And you have a wealth of wonderful moments awaiting you.
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