Powering Through Hardships

It’s What We Do, but Should We?

Photo by Dulcey Lima on Unsplash

Life is hard. It just is! I don’t know anyone who hasn’t experienced hard times, do you? At some point, I think a lot of us come to the conclusion that life is full of ups and downs, and neither good nor bad times will last forever. I know life is all about learning important lessons, and I know that everything serves a purpose, but even knowing that doesn’t make hard times easier.

If you’re like me, when you’re in one of those valleys of low points, you just power through. You survive and do the best you can to get through difficulties. Life is challenging enough just as it is, even when things are running smoothly, with working (sometimes multiple jobs), taking care of our families, paying bills, cooking and cleaning, running errands, yada yada. It seems never ending. Then, when something slams us in addition to our already full plates, we just hold on and keep going the best we can.

Here’s the thing … when we’re focused on everyone and everything else, we forget to take care of ourselves. Whether it’s because we don’t think our needs are as pressing as others’ needs or because we just can’t deal with one more thing, including ourselves, we neglect ourselves, including our physical, mental/emotional, and spiritual needs. If we were accused of neglecting our children or our pets, we’d stand up…