Tough times? What to do to gain your courage back

Sometimes life gets hard - things don't go the way we plan, people try to pull us down and everything seems to be falling apart while we can just look on and wish that we could attempt to turn it all around. Although we might not always be able to control everything that happens in life and we're sure to hit times that seem hopeless, the one thing that is always within our control is the way we choose to handle these difficulties and our mental outlook going forward: that is why I have dedicated this post to helping you deal with these problems. This post is written straight from my heart and I hope it will be of value to you.

1. Choose your outlook on the situation

This might seem like bad advice; after all, if you could simply change you outlook on things you probably wouldn't even need to be reading this post. But bear with me over here and I'll explain what I really mean by this: it is important to not see the way we choose to view things as a passive choice we simply make. If you're in a rut you can think “I'll be positive” as many times as you wish, but at the end of the day it's unlikely to make a difference if all you ever did was think it. Instead, try to help yourself develop a more positive outlook on things by thinking of some things you can actually do to improve your mental state. This could be anything from taking a little bit of time each day to spend on doing something that helps you forget about how discouraged you've been feeling or it could be more proactive, like starting a support group for people who are having the same problems. The choice does not consist in simply thinking you're going to feel different, but in choosing that you'll reach out to do something to make you feel better even if it won't change your situation.

2. Remind yourself of the things you've still got going for you

Do you still sleep in a bed?... Under a roof? I know it may not seem like much at first, but if we take time to focus on being thankful, it could make us realize just how much we still have going for us. Is there any particular person in your life you are grateful for? Is there any particular object, such as a musical instrument or a book that you are grateful to still own? Focus on the things you have to be thankful for and it might help you realize that eventually the bad times might pass and you'll still have the things you're thankful for. Take a little time to express your gratitude by telling someone that you're thankful to have in your life what they mean to you or playing on a musical instrument you're grateful to own. Even if it's just ten minutes of your time (or five), make a conscious effort to express your gratitude.

3. Take courage and do your best

It's hard to stand up and be courageous when we're facing our fears and disappointments, but sometimes it helps to realize that being courageous doesn't mean that the earth will be shifting beneath out feet at the roar of our courage anytime soon. Sometimes being courageous means deciding that you'll hold true to your values (honestly, integrity, love, compassion etc.) even if giving up on them could improve your situation. Sometimes being courageous means taking the time to help someone else even though you could also do with a little leg up on something yourself. Sometimes being courageous means taking your mind from your own problems and seeing the bigger picture and sometimes..it's taking the time to celebrate life even when it seems like you've got nothing to celebrate.

When things get rough, sometimes the best we can do is fight to stay positive people, the kind of people other people still want to be around; the kind of people that still help to encourage others instead of dragging them down. Sometimes, the greatest courage can lie in our choice to be the kind of people we wish there were more of in this world. But to be remarkable and to be remarkably courageous, is not easy. Actually, it's one of the most difficult virtues to master because it really only falls in place when we've got some of the other ones down like thankfulness, empathy, love and patience. But if we endure in a spirit of courageousness, we will come ever closer to having an unconquerable courage and we will stand up for all the things we hold most dear to us because that is what people who are truly brave do. They face their fears and fight their way out and sometimes that could mean facing another day...it could mean facing another week, or month, or year of getting up everyday even if you've got something to be scared of, but it is well worth the effort for the person you'll become.

The most admirable people in this world are not the ones who were never scared of anything, or who never failed, or the ones who got everything “just right” from the get-go; the most admirable people are the ones who had the most to fear and who very well did fear those things, but learned to overcome their fears in the process; the most admirable people didn't always have 100% control over their circumstances – on the contrary, they are often the people who had to deal with the most difficult circumstances and found their way out of them even if failure seemed inevitable.

What do you do when you get discouraged? How do you deal with it when difficult situations in life get you down? Please let me know in the comments below.