The dreams that many of us have when we are young are often met with the harsh reality as time goes by, and as we grow older, we discover that life doesn’t always turn out the way we wanted. This journey we go through often leads us to places we didn’t expect or want to reach, and along the way, we usually encounter quite a few bumps. In moments like these, when you feel that life isn’t going the way you wanted, it’s important to remember the following 7 empowering phrases that will help you get through tough times and steer your life back in the direction you aspire to.
1. Nothing in life is permanent
The worst thing we feel when we go through a difficult time and life isn’t going as we wanted is that we’ll never be able to get out of it, which only perpetuates the negative feeling. When we sink into such a black mood, we tend to look at everything in life as if it’s negative, but it’s not so. Hard times, no matter how endless they may seem, do have an end, and it’s important to remember that. Repeating the phrase "nothing in life is permanent" and saying it during tough times will help you in ways you didn’t expect simply by diverting your attention from the situation and focusing on solutions – which becomes possible when you don’t direct all your thoughts to negative places.
2. My scars are a sign of strength, not weakness
As we all know, scars are not just physical; they also form in the soul when it hurts and gets wounded. Often, these injuries occur because of people in our lives who behaved in a way that left a mark on us; in other cases, it’s due to unfortunate circumstances beyond our control, and sometimes we develop scars because of mistakes we make. Either way, when we start to heal from those wounds, something amazing happens; the scar that once seemed terrifying serves as a reminder of what we’ve been through and allows us to move forward stronger and wiser, and that’s where its strength – and ours – lies.
3. I can stay positive even when those around me are negative
Unfortunately, sometimes the people closest to us are the ones who try to suppress our aspirations and desires, whether unintentionally or deliberately. When negative words are directed at us by people we spend a lot of time with, they have a greater impact than the words of strangers, which can unsettle us. At these points, our self-confidence is tested, and we owe it to ourselves to stay true to our principles and continue on the path we’ve chosen. When you feel that people around you are being negative towards you, keep smiling, even if it’s not easy, and stay positive because you deserve it.
4. Wisdom often lies in pain
It’s no coincidence that older people are considered the wisest in society in certain cultures, given the fact that they’ve been through many challenges in life and have learned from them. This wisdom is acquired at the cost of many difficulties, but it’s worth it as we become wiser and learn more about life as time goes on. This learning will only happen if you know how to look at certain situations in your life objectively by distancing yourself from them and viewing them from the outside. So the next time you experience a crisis where life doesn’t look the way you want, try to distance yourself from the situation and understand what you’re supposed to learn from it.
5. Even when I struggle, I’m moving forward
The worst thing you can do for yourself when you feel that life isn’t going your way is to decide to give up. When you do that, you don’t stay in the same place but rather move backward, so you must choose the struggle, which is harder but also more rewarding in the long run. To move your life forward, you must choose to take on the role of a fighter in difficult situations so you can get through them, and under no circumstances give up and retreat.
6. Fear changes nothing
Think for a moment about the people in your life, the goals they set for themselves, and how successful they are in achieving them. It’s likely that those who succeeded in getting what they wanted are bold people who didn’t let fear stop them, unlike those who are full of paralyzing fears. When life gets stuck and doesn’t go in the direction you want, check whether what caused it is your fear of moving forward in a certain way, giving up in advance on goals that seemed impossible to you. To neutralize this fear, remember that you’re in a situation you’re not happy with and that it’s not better than trying and failing in certain cases, so you should devote your energy not to fears but to actions and efforts that will move you forward.
7. The best option is to move forward
Many times, you will feel that life has defeated you, that it has placed obstacles in front of you that you simply cannot overcome, and that there’s no point in even trying to change the situation. This defeatist attitude is more dangerous than any situation you’re in because it means giving up. Instead, try to think of every possible way to overcome the obstacle, bypass the problem, and once again reach a place where you feel you’re walking the path of life you want and that makes you happy and positive.
