There is one aspect of humans I find to be remarkable: our resilience. Think about it. Every day, we are faced with obstacles that hinder us from achieving our goals. Yet, no matter how daunting, we always manage to overcome them and thrive. It’s absolutely incredible. There’s a sense of comfort in knowing our bodies and minds were created with the purpose of protecting ourselves to ensure survival. Here are a few situations in which you should utilize your natural ability to bounce back from negative circumstances:
1. Heartbreak. Regardless of whether you were the dumper or the dumped, a break up is one of the most painful affairs a person can experience. It creates an aching pain in your chest, leaves you feeling empty and shakes your sense of identity. Everyone who has gone through a separation knows the terrifying feeling of facing the unknown. Although right now it feels as though you’ll never make it through this ordeal, you will. The pain is temporary and time heals all wounds. There will come a day when you wake up and the first thing you think of won’t be your former boyfriend or girlfriend. There will come a time when you will stop obsessively stalking their photos on Facebook. There will come a time when you don’t feel a lurch in your heart when you pass by the restaurant where you had your first date. To get through it, just remind yourself that you are a resilient person and there truly are better things waiting ahead. This mindset will help a lot more than you might think.
2. Injuries. I can’t really speak with as much conviction about injuries as I do about heartbreak. I broke one bone when I was 10 years old, and I thought it was the most tragic turn of events ever. However, I do know from watching friends and strangers recover from injuries that the human body can do amazing things. It sounds weird to say, but have trust in your body. Trust that it’s doing everything it possibly can to make sure you recover quickly. When you’re sick or hurt, your body goes into overdrive trying to protect you and making sure you come out unharmed. On that note, since your body works so hard to take care of you, it’s only right that you return the favor. Exercise, eat right and do good things for your body. You only have one, so TAKE CARE OF IT.
3. Rejection. You can get rejected from nearly anything. I remember one day last semester when I got rejected from one club position and two internship opportunities on the same day. Then I tried to reserve a taxi in Chicago for a spring break trip with me and my roommates, only to be told the taxi company I contacted doesn’t drive to our hotel. Although it was a very minor setback, it felt like another punch to my face. Which is why I remember dramatically falling to the floor and sobbing into my carpet until my sweet boyfriend came and peeled me from the ground and fed me. The point of the story is: I’m okay now. I got a lot more rejections after that day as well, and I still survived. Did it sting every time I received a “We regret to inform you…” email? Yes. Did I feel hopeless? Yup. Like a failure? You bet. But I got over it. More importantly, I got over it and took those rejections as an opportunity to better myself and work harder to make sure I give other people less of a reason to reject me.
So if you’re going through a hard time right now, take a deep breath. You’re going to be okay.
