We all experience it - times of strife. In those times of struggle, many begin to question themselves, question God, and question their happiness. Finding the answers to those questions are much easier than most think.
The answer is: within.
Close your eyes and picture this scenario - a scenario that everyone goes through and you may be going through it right now:
You are suffering a hardship. It could be any of the following:
- can't pay your bills
- just lost your job
- not happy in your situation whatever it is
Many times when faced with adversity, people begin to pray to God seeking a way out. When their prayers are not answered immediately, they begin to question God. They begin to ask, "well where is God" in my time of need? They begin to get upset, stressed, angry, and act on those emotions erupting from the mind and ego.
They don't realize that those very acts are signs of lack of faith. I'm not talking about lack of faith in your religion, but I am talking about overall lack of faith in the fact that you have the strength to get through your situation, no matter what, and that you already have God, happiness, and good, in and around you.
Getting upset and losing your mind is turning your back on what is already there. As a result, you lose sight of what is good in your life already. You start turning your back to the ones who love you and support you, you forget that you should be grateful for having a job when so many others do not, etc.
Do not turn your back on the things that make you happy and provide you strength already.
To prevent this, people need to approach their strife and struggle in a different way:
- When you are going through hardship, use that time to not only work on solving the problem, but also to celebrate the presence of God and happiness in your life already. As I heard this past Sunday: "walk and let your feet do the praying".
- Do not allow yourself to succumb to fear and stress, they are obstacles to your goals. Instead, observe those emotions, acknowledge they are there, and keep it moving.
When you do the above, you approach the situation in a much different way: with strength, vigor, faith, and hope. I always tell people: "change your thoughts, change your experience".
Good luck.