We’ve all had those days when we feel down. Maybe we feel sad because of something happening in our lives. Or maybe there’s no reason for our sadness. Maybe we just wake up on certain days feeling gloomy. And it isn’t our fault for feeling that way. Life, with its ups and downs, is hard. It can make us feel as though we are being blown away in an unforgiving blizzard of confusion, sadness, frustration, and anger.
However, we can always remember that along with these bitter feelings, there are also the sweet feelings. Sweet feelings. Like the energy we get when the sun shines in our faces. Or the warmth we get when we spend time with a person we love. We need to remember that we can use these sweet feelings as a compass to give us direction in this frenzy and mish-mash of emotions that we call life.
In this post, I’m not going to give you a list of strategies you can do to cheer you up when you feel hopeless and discouraged. Instead, I’ll tell you that it’s up to you to figure out what works best for you. Each individual is different. Each individual comes from different backgrounds. Everyone has different interests and lifestyles. Everyone has different things, activities, or people which make them happy. The key is to recognize these resources and use them when we need it.
Personally, I always rely on my mother for support and guidance. She is always there to talk with me. We don’t just talk about the bad things, but also the good things. We talk about how I’m reading a book in English class that I really like, how I made a new friend at school that day, or how I got a good score on a math test that I studied hard for. By acknowledging the small positives that everyday life brings, I realize that there is something to strive for in life. Yes, obstacles in life leave us feeling lost and discouraged. The darkness in life makes us feel suffocated and blinded. But talking with my mother, I realize that even in the darkness, there is always a ray of light. We just need to find the light by recognizing that it is there.
And then, we talk about the bad things. Oftentimes, I feel hesitant to share the bitterness that I feel with others. I feel that talking about it makes it worse. Talking about makes it seem as though I am acknowledging the obstacles and challenges in life. Surprisingly, that is exactly what I am doing when I talk about the bad things. I am accepting the fact that I have to live with challenges. By talking about this with my mother, I realize that the bad things are not as bad as I make them seem. I realize that even with these bitter feelings that are trying to confuse me in the frenzy of life, there are those sweet feelings that are trying to provide me with guidance and encouragement. I come to this realization only when I speak with my mother.
That being said, I am no expert in coming to terms with roadblocks in life. As I said before, I am not here to provide advice on how to overcome difficulties. I want to provide validity that everyone has the right to feel sad. But in order to feel happy, it’s important to appreciate the little examples of goodness in life.
My mother helps me to recognize these.