153. change your outlook

We are all going to encounter hardship in our lives. When it happens, we will most likely ask the question, “why me?” No matter what it is, it’s always going to feel unfair to be dealt a bad hand. It’s understandable to be upset, and we all should have a moment to feel the weight of the situation. But after that moment we need to muster the courage to answer our own question.

When something bad happens to you, and you ask yourself, “why me?” — the only true answer is because you can handle it. Instead of thinking you are a victim of circumstance or encountering a bout of bad luck, embrace the fact that this is something you can handle. Change the way you frame what is happening. You’re not unlucky, stupid, or victimized, you’re blessed because you have the ability to encounter this negative situation and come out on the other side, whereas someone else could not have dealt with the blow. 

It’s simply a different way to look at your experience. Instead of being crushed by the weight of a negative situation, answering the question with “because I can handle it” will allow you to take it head on and grow from the experience. It’s never easy to encounter the bad parts in life, but with the understanding that getting pushed to the edge of yourself is where the growth happens, will completely change your outlook.