Ways to help yourself.

Did type your life problem into google?

Don’t worry, I do that too. In fact, I think everyone has at some point. Something catastrophic happens, and we can’t see an immediate solution. So, who do we turn to? Your family might be overseas, and your best friend is having troubles of their own. Who is left? Well, google. So here I am - Miss Internet, coming to you from cyberspace, offering you a few brief words which will hopefully cheer you up, and get up, out of the small hole you dug in the closest bingable sugar product.

Whenever something goes wrong, there are a couple of things we can always do, not matter what, to help us get back on track:

1. Identify and realise - no matter how terrifying - the source of the problem.

Sounds simple, but lots of us tend to stick our heads in the sand. Have courage in knowing that whatever you are experiencing, someone in the history of mankind must of experienced it before. And since humanity is still around, there must be some kind of a solution. Whether the resolution is taking a sword and fighting a nearby dragon, or simply accepting that some things in your life are going to need to change in order for you to adapt to a new situation. Bravery is underrated in society: the courage to accept and solve issues quietly and gracefully. So take courage, and face it head above the sand.

“Remember, it is not enough to be hit or insulted to be harmed, you must believe that you are being harmed. If someone succeeds in provoking you, realize that your mind is complicit in the provocation. Which is why it is essential that we not respond impulsively to impressions; take a moment before reacting, and you will find it easier to maintain control.”

― Epictetus

2. You can do it - even if it takes you a couple of tries.

A solution to your problem, to why you need help, will arise. But you are going to have to work at it. So get ready to practice resilience. Ask for help when you need, and certainly don’t be afraid to ask for help! But don’t forget that sometimes, the answer is already within you.

Never let the future disturb you. You will meet it, if you have to, with the same weapons of reason which today arm you against the present. - Aurelius

3. Remember what you are fighting for.

It might be a loved one, or a job, or a home. It may even be a foundational yet essential fight: survival. Remember why you are exerting this energy, and don’t forget. Because trust me, you are going to need reminding almost everyday as to why you bothered in the first place. Fighting for a life that makes you happy and of service takes a great deal of hard work, resilience and motivation - but what else are we here for?

“It is the power of the mind to be unconquerable.”

― Seneca

4. Look at the sun.

Well, not directly into it, of course. Go outside and breathe the wild air, drink the morning sun, and thank the universe for the day. I’m not saying that this will be easy, because somedays we are not grateful at all for our lot. But these are the days that we need to say thank you for the blessings we do have, whether it is family, friends, or even just the morning sun, giving us life for a day to strive, struggle and succeed.

“Always resignation and acceptance. Always prudence and honour and duty. Elinor, where is your heart?”

― Jane Austen

5. Don’t turn your back on the stars

Whatever your dream is, don’t even let go. In the worlds of the band ELO, “Hold on tight to your dreams...When you hear the cold wind calling..hold on tight to your dreams”. No matter what the problem is that has arisen - don’t let go of your end goal.

“We Are All In The Gutter But Some Of Us Are Looking At The Stars”

– Oscar Wilde

6. Don’t take advice from the internet...

Okay, so I tricked you into reading this one last. While it is important to have options and influences in your life - YOU are the sole determiner of your course. So navigate in accordance with your own will, no matter what a person says to online.

"You are the sole navigator of your destiny"

- Étienne

@sophie_etienne_poetry

https://www.amazon.com.au/Meditations-MARCUS-AURELIUS/dp/048629823X

https://www.amazon.com.au/Letters-Stoic-Seneca/dp/0140442103/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=seneca&qid=1604045199&s=books&sr=1-1