Challenging Times Call For Inner Strength
No matter what challenge, obstacle or hardship you’re faced with, using your inner strength will generate the strong will to cope, and get through it, and also begin believing in yourself again. When you feel blindsided by a dramatic change in your life, that’s the time to remember that out of trying times, comes a better and stronger you. Learn to use the power of your inner strength to lessen the impact and you will find a solution. It’s not just a solution, but a life-transforming, do-better-because-you-know-better metamorphism just waiting for you.
If you’ve ever witnessed the hummingbird at work, you know that its wings move as fast as it needs to in order to extract the flower’s sweet nectar. The beaver works diligently to collect leaves, twigs and bark in order to build his dam, and the caterpillar hibernates in his cocoon until it transforms into a beautiful butterfly. What do these creatures have in common? An inner strength, that despite not quite knowing why they’re doing what they’re doing on an intellectual level, carries the ability within them that will make them bigger, stronger, better.
Same goes for you, only on a much more powerful level.
Finding Your Inner Strength When You Need it Most
If life has recently thrown you a curveball, you may have forgotten that it’s not without purpose. Have you been living on auto-pilot for a while? Have you taken your job for granted and now you’re unemployed? Were you betrayed by someone you love? Did you fail your medical board examination and now you’re left reexamining your career path?
Here’s what you need to know: when life hands you unexpected twists, you need to find your inner strength. Because whether you believe it or not, we all possess an undeniable strength inside that brings us through every situation and challenge.
Find That Inner Strength During Your Greatest Challenge
If your marriage just ended because you were betrayed, let this be a lesson on choices and accept that you deserve better. If you were terminated from your job, acknowledge that a better opportunity is just around the corner. If you cheated on your spouse, learn about the delicate nature of the heart, give the apology where it’s due, and accept the responsibility for what you’ve done. Learn an important lesson about the significance of honesty that perhaps you’ve forgotten, and make better choices next time.
Care for Yourself First, Others Next
Self-care is important when boosting up your inner strength quotient. Take a time out at the end of the day for down time and reflection. Set aside time for a relaxing long bath, listening to some music, eating something comforting, or reading a novel by your favorite author. In other words, be kind to yourself.
Would you approach a crying baby with a tough love approach? We didn’t think so. Find a way to comfort the distress that you’re feeling, and nurture yourself before doing anything else. Caring for you is what helps to fuel that inner strength and to heal yourself. It will trigger your imagination. Albert Einstein once said, “Your imagination is your preview of life’s coming attractions.”
Take Time to Grieve, Then Act
There’s a difference between taking the time to grieve about the changes in your life and dwelling on them. Give yourself time to grieve for the loss of a friend, lover, job, or a loved one. Embrace that new city you’ve moved to and then begin to move forward. There are new and joyful experiences to get pleasure from. So, life has taken you down an unexpected road. What are you going to do about it? Demonstrate appreciation for all the wonderful things you’ve had, currently have, and will have in the future. Ask yourself this: “What have I always wanted to do with this free time, now that I can?” “Where/what should I put my energy into to make me feel better?” Volunteer. Take a hike. Visit the local art museum. Kayak. Join a book club. Take a painting class. Stop sulking and watching reality TV. Do whatever is required to make you feel better, more capable, and more lovable. Inner strength resides inside you and when you get past the jolt, and draw on it, you will soon discover that life can be wonderful again. Just think back to a time in your life when you felt like you couldn’t go on because of heartbreak, disillusionment or a big disappointment. You made it didn’t you? You were capable of moving on and that is what inner strength is all about. It gives you the ability to cope, and handle those times in your life when it is not easy to adapt to a major shift.
Embrace Changes in Your Life
Some people are averse to facing changes in their life and have difficulty adapting. But you need to acknowledge that change is always inevitable, as are disappointments, heartaches and setbacks. As a human being, you possess the precise tools to deal with all of these situations. You have intelligence, tenacity, and that all important, inner strength that can equip you when you are in need. You should take time to mourn the loss or change, and find avenues and diversions to help you adjust to the new circumstances. Be grateful for what you had, and have, and open yourself up to accept those changes. With change, comes new opportunities and experiences.
Your inner strength is the weapon that can defeat depression, sadness and disappointment. Around every corner and after every change, there is a new journey that can lead you to more happiness and wonderful fresh experiences. Setbacks will come into your life as they do in everyone’s life, but learn to be strong and use that indomitable spirit and inner strength inside you.
Here are some beautiful quotes about inner strength;
“The truth is that our finest moments are most likely to occur when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy, or unfulfilled. For it is only in such moments, propelled by our discomfort, that we are likely to step out of our ruts and start searching for different ways or truer answers.” M. Scott Peck
“When I dare to be powerful – to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid.” Audre Lorde
“No soul that aspires can ever fail to rise; no heart that loves can ever be abandoned. Difficulties exist only that in overcoming them we may grow strong, and they who have suffered are able to save.” Annie Besant
Your inner strength will give you all the courage and fortitude that you need to handle those difficult or painful changes that will alter circumstances in your life. Take the time you need to adjust, be good to yourself and seek out diversions and new interests. Your inner strength becomes more powerful every time you use it; it is the rock that you lean on and the power to charge up your resolve and determination to succeed, no matter what comes your way.
© 2012, Linda. All rights reserved.
I have seen too many people around me dwell on their failures, and struggle to go back on track again. It’s sad to see that not many of us in reality don’t even know the existence of their inner strength. Though it may not be easy to find for some of us, it is still a very important process to open up that first door to success. They really need to take time to visit the core of their mind someday.
Those who are riddled with fear but want to break out of it (kudos to them) need to beat it in small steps or else it will be too overwhelming, and they will get back to square one. I think people are more afraid of their light, strength, success and power than failure.