The "Non-Bullshitified" Guide to Dealing with Hard Things !

Times are tough! Now, that's too self evident to mention, but let me get real about it. 

In 2020, the world has been the grip of a pandemic, economic realities have upended people's livelihoods and left them with uncertainty.  And with the rise of protests and riots in many cities, and cries to defund Police departments in many cities in the United States, it seems like every person for themselves in order to survive. And these are the big problems we live with, let alone our daily, personal challenges. The anxiety of feeling isolated, and the world out of control can make you feel powerless. And yet, there are ways for you to live well through tough times. In fact, I have three things to help you in the fray of life.

First, we have to confront our most important enemy: fear. This emotion can leave us feeling helpless and weak. Often, we exaggerate the potential threats we face, and according to psychology, most of our fears never actualize in real life. Here, it's our perception of the world that's our problem. How we think about things and more importantly what we do in response to our fear that counts.
So here is a main principle: Be afraid and act rightly anyways. You can't always stop being afraid. Some things are truly fearful. Facing cancer, going to war, standing trial:these are a few of the more daunting things people have faced, and taken action despite their anxieties. They looked beyond their fears to something better.
The soldiers who stormed Normandy no doubt faced their fears, and fought against tyranny. They had courage.

There is is another way to be emboldened when facing adversity : Look to the moral high ground. Doing what is right, because it is right will justify your struggle. Even the Proverb says," the righteous are bold as a lion". There is a quality of strong leadership called " true north" i.e.the moral compass that leaders follow as an example to others. Integrity is everything. When you know you have it, nothing can seemingly stop you. Let integrity be your inner motivation to keep going, and to stand your ground because it's the right thing to do. 

Now, fighting your battles despite fear, and with integrity will go a long way for you. And you've likely heard that "winners never quit and quitters never win". That is true as far as it goes. However, we need a dose of wisdom to guide us in our decisions. What if, sometimes, quitting is the right decision? There may come a point in your circumstances when it's time to stop what you're doing because it's for the best.
There's a word we keep hearing these days, in response to the big changes we see all around us. Instead of quitting, we should "pivot". That's right: change your direction, but keep going. 

Prior to Covid-19, I had big plans for myself in Muay Thai training. Then the gym closed for 4 months under the lockdowns. Things changed dramatically after reopening. My teacher was no longer there because they "couldn't afford him". Yet, he didn't stop his career.  He redirected it into personal coaching and built a new business around life coaching and Muay Thai. As for me, my membership expired, but I stopped training in order to reassess my goals, and change direction, too. I was initially discouraged by the big changes in my own gym after the lockdown, but I used the opportunity to start looking at new ways to develop mentally and physically.

There you have 3 main principles for dealing with the challenges of life. I know, there are more. I'm not the last word on the topic, but hopefully, you find these simpler and more realistic than some esoteric "self-help" program.