Photo by Sean Johnson

Hey, fam. I generally keep news and politics out of my blogs because my writing world is my soft place; my place of comfort and solace. I don’t want anything in that space that will cause me anxiety and world news gives me anxiety.

But just because we don’t talk about something doesn’t mean that it’s not happening or that a problem isn’t bothersome. For as long as we live on this earth we will have issues. Example: Two years ago my husband and began raising a six-year-old even though most of our children are adults and out of the house.

Fortunately, life doesn’t begin and end with uncomfortable, unplanned situations. At some point we will all be embattled. And we will all prevail.  Trust me. Tribulations are not always a matter of whether we overcome, but rather how we respond to the challenge.

I admit to kicking and screaming (not literally, okay, maybe a little) when we had to take on this new responsibility of a toddler. It’s a big deal to raise someone else’s kid who is ten years younger than your youngest. But it had to be done. And I decided to stop complaining and embrace my new normal.

Here are few things that helped me.  

1.      Think about how you got there. Are you experiencing something that is a result of your action? Having to put your car in the shop because you didn’t keep up the maintenance or losing your job because you were always late. Or is it something beyond your control-an illness, or a death?  If it is something within your control, take your loss, learn your lesson, make sure you come out better than ever and don’t look back. If the issue it is beyond your control, remember that things happen for a reason. Live your life with integrity and grace and leave the guilty regrets behind.

2.      Be positive. Be careful of how you react and speak about your situation. Don’t respond negatively. It won’t make things better. Don’t focus on the “how” and “why” but rather to look towards resolution.

3.      Consider the alternatives. What can you do to make sure this doesn’t happen again or that you are making the best decision in response? We all make mistakes, but again, it’s how we respond to a situation that can help shape the outcome.

4.      Talk about it. Not at nauseam, but enough to sort out your feelings. It’s okay to feel sad, frustrated, or even angry. Those are natural reactions.  But don’t get stuck there. Get it out of your system and move on.

5.      Work it out. Literally. Choose your activity of choice and work that thing out. Run, hike, bike, sing or draw. Pick your poison and get to working that thing out. This will not make the problem go away, but it will provide stress relief and help clear your head.

Trouble don’t last always. It’s going to get resolved. So when you are awake in the middle of the night trying to figure it all out, just remember, “This too shall pass.” And it will.

Write on,

Tamika