When Life Lets You Down

Life isn’t perfect.  We’re not perfect.  We can’t plan for everything, although most of us try.  So what do you do when life lets you down or when something goes wrong and you’re left asking “why?”  Below you will find common reactions to life’s unfortunate situations and suggestions for making your reactions more positive from an expert in counseling Indianapolis people.

Common Reaction #1: Blame

Blame often occurs after life lets you down.  You didn’t get the job you wanted.  You were pulled over by a police officer.  Your child acted up in school.  All of these situations can elicit blame.  You may find yourself blaming the interviewer or the guy in front of you that was going the same speed.  You may blame the teacher or another child at your kid’s school for the misbehavior, but in the end, you can’t change the situation.  So why blame?  Instead of blaming, ask yourself what you could do differently next time to react positively.  Maybe you could revise your resume or practice your interviewing skills before a job interview.  Maybe you could watch your speed on the interstate instead of following traffic.  Or maybe you could talk to your child about proper behavior at school and make sure the misbehavior doesn’t happen again.  Unfortunate situations can be used to learn, grow, and take responsibility for our own lives.

Common Reaction #2: Self-Doubt

Self-doubt is a great friend of unfortunate situations.  When something bad happens, we often feel bad about ourselves and believe we aren’t good enough.  Our self-esteem takes a hit and it takes us a while to bounce back.  But instead of feeling bad about ourselves when facing an unfortunate situation, we can remind ourselves that we are worthy individuals.  We can make a list of our positive attributes and use those to correct the situation.  We can ask the people who love us to share their favorite characteristics about us and we can take charge of the situation and change it from bad to good.  I believe opportunity lies in every unfortunate situation.  You just need to seek and find it.  Self-doubt will keep it hiding, but positive thinking will create change.

Common Reaction #3: Anger

Have you ever used the phrase “the world is out to get me?” or “I just can’t catch a break?”  I know people who live their lives by those phrases, and trust me, it doesn’t make life any easier.  Being angry is okay to a certain extent, but living your life in anger won’t help anything.  Instead of being angry, take responsibility for what has happened.  Yes, certain people do have more bad luck than others, but taking responsibility for the situations is the only way to make a change in your life.  When an unfortunate situation happens, deal with it.  Do what you need to do to make it okay and complain as little as possible.  If you find this incredibly difficult to do, then I encourage you to seek counseling support from a counselor in your area.  You are the only one who can make your life better.  So, pick yourself up, accept the situation, and move along.  Use your power to make a positive change.  Take charge of your life.  Don’t let your life take charge of you.