“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising up every time we fall.” —Nelson Mandela
The current economic climate, the continuing evolution of AI, and the media’s focus on negative news stories can make us feel insecure about the ability to maintain (let alone) improve our lives. Having gone through some extremely challenging times, I know how hard it is not to be negative and better when your life turns dark — whether it is losing a loved one, facing an illness, or being laid off from your job. You need time to grieve. In fact, if you do not go through all the stages of grief, you will get stuck. (More on this later.)
But, eventually, you need to move forward. How do you do this when you feel like you’ve been in the ring with Muhammad Ali? Here are a few steps that have helped me get back to living life:
Find one thing that is beautiful each day, no matter how small.
Before you go to sleep each night, count all the blessings that you still have.
Learn to accept that your life will be different. Remember though, you define what your life is going to look like and what path you are going to travel.
Stay away from people who have negative or toxic personalities. This is not being mean. This is self-preservation.
Be kind to yourself. Do not rate yourself on your progress — getting up and moving forward even when it is inch by inch is huge.
Comparing yourself to others is a no-win game. Again, focus on your progress.
Be honest with yourself. Do you need professional counseling to help you cope? GET IT! Having been there, I can tell you that I avoided getting grief counseling way too long.
From experience, it does not matter that you have stumbled or fallen down because that is part of life. What is important is that you get up and get back to living. As a Japanese proverb says, “Fall down seven times, stand up eight times.”