It’s no surprise to most of us that life isn’t exactly how we might want it, completely. It might be that despite having the perfect family unit, and the perfect job, you’re still at a loss as to the current political climate. Climate change is impacting the planet at an unprecedented rate. And on top of that, living a successful and healthy life itself takes all of your energy to keep on top of, and you won’t be able to keep on top of everything.
However, despite this rather bad news, it’s important to know that things aren’t all bad. In fact, things can be very good. The problem of life has been tackled by philosophers, artists and poets for some time. But it all comes down to one thing, as the stoics realized. All you can change is that within your scope of influence, and keep an encouraged and courageous attitude if you do so.
With that in mind, we would like to see how that perspective could help you deal with the harsh facts of life, but in a health manner. You might be stunned at just how effective this kind of inquiry can actually be, from head to toe.
You Can’t Be Friends With Everyone
When we meet others, our first indication is to be polite. It’s to consider them a potential friend. It’s to open as courteously as possible so that the first impressions are good. But you won’t always gel with someone immediately. In fact, there are likely more people you will dislike on this planet than those you will like and want to appreciate. This depends on your personality entirely, and the personalities of those you might interact with. Even those you might have felt compatible with can feel slightly alien as you learn more and more about them, or come into strange conflicts with them.
You can’t be friends with everyone. It’s best to accept that now. Sometimes you will be hurt by people, and sometimes you will struggle to rationally understand someone else’s entire mindset, no matter how rationally you view it. But this is a good thing. It can help us become more discerning in our social relationships. It can help us learn how to deal with interpersonal conflict. And it can often help us become less codependent, instead giving us the means to relax and become more friendly with ourselves. If you take this lesson into account now, you can avoid a range of emotional strife that you might otherwise have felt.
You Can’t Specialize In Everything
It’s a shame that our lifespans our limited and there are only so many hours in one given day. Unless you have the work ethic of an ultramarathon runner, you will likely only be able to specialize in maybe four things in your life. If you have a family, it might be less, but that can serve as something continually nourishing.
The ‘jack of all trades, master of none’ phrase is a sentiment that has lasted because it’s true. When we head on vacation, we might wish we had time to become a master surfer. We might wish we could play three instruments, speak ten languages, and draw very well. We might wish to write a novel, a play, perhaps study a degree in architecture, and build our own home. We might wish to live off the land, to ensure that we can speak most of the programming languages necessary for the future of tech development.
You can achieve all of these things. But if you did, that would be a lifetime of work, or at least several decades of it. You would need to plan your time like a military operation. And while balancing a career and family around that? We realize that we have to pick our direction in life, and stick to it. Optimistically dealing with the harsh facts of life means taking something that might seem like a limit and subverting it to become healthier, something that could sustain us.
We believe that this renewed perspective can fall into this category. Sure, you might not be able to do everything. But that only leaves you more open to finding that you are truly passionate about. Throwing everything you can into your career as a writer, penning your own novels, could potentially help you master your craft and gain the recognition you might be due as a by-product. It allows us to define ourselves through an interest, and to take more risks and direct actions when trying to build a career in a certain enterprise.
To us, hoping and navigating your ambitions towards something you really want is one of the most optimistic things you can do, bar none.
Your Days Are Limited
It’s true that we only have a given time on this Earth. Humankind hasn’t quite unlocked the secrets to anti-aging just yet. However, while this extremely sad fact can depress us if we ponder on it long enough, it’s important to use it to our gain. Having a limited number of days simply means that our days are more important, and are actually fully valuable. If you had an infinite stretch, nothing would matter. It means that we need to take risks. We need to fight for that we wish to experience, for those we hope to hold dear.
On top of that, it can help us become more grateful. We can start to see life as a gift rather than something that we have to simply get out of the way. If you allow this fact to temper you and to make the most of the days you do have, then the time you have here will be more than enough.
You Are Vulnerable
We’re all vulnerable. It takes relatively little to injure us in our human bodies, and our mental health must always be considered. But that can help us become kind. It softens us. And it helps us become more appreciative of the fragility of life, and how we must do our best to protect that which we love. In other words, the presence of being human, humanizes us.
With these tips, we hope you’re better able to optimistically deal with the harsh facts of life.
Mandy X
Author: Mandy Kloppers
Mandy is a qualified therapist who treats depression, anxiety, OCD, PTSD, trauma, and many other types of mental health issues. She provides online therapy around the world for those needing support and also provides relationship counselling.
