18 Tips to Remember When Things Go Wrong

Last week, I volunteered at the university to take the new students on a campus tour. One of the students was in a wheelchair, and he chatted with me all morning. He had a positive energy that could be easily transmitted to everyone around him.

Note: This article is based on a blog post by Marc Chernoff, in which he presents 18 pieces of information you should remember when things get tough.

At the end of the tour, I found out that he had been offered a scholarship to play basketball before being paralyzed as a result of a car accident. However, he told me that this didn’t ruin his life, but it just changed his circumstances, and he's grateful for the many new opportunities he has.

His positivity struck me. To be honest, we should all be like him. That is, we must be willing to let go of the things we failed to achieve so that we can make the most of our lives in the future.

Next time when things go wrong, remember the following:

1. Changes are inevitable during the process, but don’t let them get you down.
2. Being flexible is crucial. Sometimes, we live the best moments spontaneously, while our greatest regrets come from our inability to achieve our plans.
3. Our way of thinking places fake barriers in our way, for there is no reason to set imaginary limitations for yourself by thinking outside the box. Instead, think of it as if there is no box at all.
4. Your feelings of resentment and frustration are self-made.
5. Unforeseen events may create physical pain, but they do not necessarily cause suffering. Rather, emotional resistance is what causes it. You get stressed when your mind resists your reality. Hence, the only real problems in your life result from your mind's resistance to your reality.
6. No amount of darkness can put out the light of a candle. Your mind is that candle, and you must keep it ablaze.
7. True strength is when you have so many things to grumble about. But you'd rather smile and appreciate your life instead.
8. Most experiences are inherent in life, such as change, birth, death, aging, illness, accidents, and losses of all kinds, but one must not suffer because of such events.
   Although these events can cause distress, they will pass anyway. Yet, we cling to negative thoughts and feelings, and as a result, these feelings stick with us. On the other hand, we take for granted the feelings of joy, gratitude, excitement, love, and place. However, when we delve into these positive feelings at least as deeply as we do with the negative ones, we will feel more satisfied with our lives.
9. Don't give up on your negative thoughts.
10. One of the best times to find out who you are and what you really want out of life is right after suffering a big disappointment.
11. Sometimes, it takes a little sadness to pay attention to what is around us and see that we are far more capable and valuable than we thought to be.
12. Taking a new path in life is difficult, but it is no more difficult than staying stuck in a situation that no longer exists.
13. Good luck comes to those who work hard for it, and to those who take a positive approach to every challenge and opportunity.
14. Being positive doesn't mean ignoring your negative side. Rather, overcoming it, as there is a huge difference between the two.
15. Life rarely presents us with opportunities that suit our expectations.
16. Great opportunities are often hidden behind problems, and they always appear when we take a step outside our comfort zone.
17. The greater our suffering, the more pleasure we get when overcoming it. We often look at what we achieve effortlessly with disdain. Scarcity adds value to things, and the most successful people are those who can smile when they are in trouble, who gather strength from distress, and then grow.
18. Life will inevitably unimaginably surprise you. Therefore, don't assume that the way things are now constrains you because life changes every moment, and so do you.

In conclusion

Regardless of all the details, have a little faith that the universe has a plan for you, and it will all be revealed when the time comes. Ultimately, the ups and downs you went through will make you realize that there are no wrong choices.

Rather, some choices will change the course of your life. Sometimes, you have to suffer a little bit to grow or lose to win. Sometimes, the necessary lesson can only be learned through a little pain. So, accept these things, and life will become more fun.