As I sit here writing this, drinking a perfect mug of hot chocolate, listening to the thunderstorm and rain outside and recounting the events of the last few weeks, I am reminded of a saying I read – “A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.” We learn a lot from the storms in life and it’s a choice as to whether they make or break us. Life sure has been pretty crazy for me lately.

A few years ago, I would have drowned under the weight of all the chaos that has been going on, but I learnt that a large part of dealing with tough situations is how I respond to them and how I let them affect my life. That’s right! It’s something I get to choose.

There is a picture I was sent one day of two men painting in a prison cell. The one saw only the bars, while the other could see the beauty of the scenery outside, without the bars. It’s the same with life. When things are tough, focusing on the negative will only add to that burden. However, seeing the light even on the darkest of days is how we survive in this world and overcome things like stress, anxiety and depression.

Anyone can say, “look at the bright side” to someone who is going through a hard time, but it’s a whole different story to actually see the positive in some bad situations. There is no easy, magical fix to life’s problems, but the way those problems are handled can make a huge impact on the person experiencing them, either making a good one or a bad one.

I used to get so lost in whatever circumstance I was in, trying to figure out what was happening and why and then try to control it… how naive and unwittingly arrogant. I cannot control everything that happens to me, especially when it is caused by an outside influence. The only thing anyone has complete control over is their own attitude. I have to admit that this has not always been my strong suit.

No one can change what life throws at them, but they can choose how to handle it and often that makes all the difference. We may get knocked down time and time again, but what is important is if you keep getting back up. Yes, life is hard! However, we grow by adapting to new situations and learning how to weather the storms until we become like a skilled sailor.

I really have the sea on my mind with this post, but it paints such an accurate picture when one wishes to talk about life. The sea, like life, is unpredictable. This shouldn’t make us depressed or worried though. Just because we may not know what to do in a given circumstance, does not mean that we shouldn’t have a good attitude about it.

I found this quote that says, “life’s roughest storms prove the strength of our anchors.” We have probably all heard that we find out who a person truly is, when things don’t go their way. What is our true character when hard times hit? Whilst we may not be able to predict everything life may have in store for us, we can certainly survive it and come out all the stronger for it if we have the right mindset toward it.

Yeah, I know you have all been waiting for the cliche saying since reading the title of the post. So, I shall end this by saying that you are all stronger than you think, especially when going through a tough time. I know I found out that I was, and I was astounded by it. It gave me the strength and the confidence to take a deep breath and take on the next challenge waiting for me.

When life gives you lemons, go ahead and make that lemonade so you can freshen up with it as you get ready to take on whatever is waiting for you next. Life is a journey, full of lessons as we travel through it from one destination to another. Don’t forget to enjoy the views along the way or you may find that you’ve missed out on some of the most important parts that life has to offer.