During the tough times in life we always ask “Why me?”
We feel that we are the only ones in the world with difficulties or bad luck. A chain reaction of thoughts follow through that takes us back in history of all the bad events that have ever happened to us. We think about how cruel people are and recall all circumstances where we felt like victims. We then tend to move forward thinking about a future that has not happened yet and picture ourselves in the most miserable scenarios, convincing ourselves that this is how things will end up, that we have no control over what will happen. We affirm our limitations that we have created for ourselves or we have allowed others to create for us. It is not until we realise that our problems are not as unique as we thought they are that we stop this despondent chain reaction of negative thoughts. The turning point is usually at the realisation that others have survived similar unwanted situations or even worse events in their lives. That interrupts the thinking process and breaks all the linked uncontrollable thoughts — taking us from a dark past to a dark future — that occur in the mind. This is a negative feedback system. If you choose not to end this negative feedback system, then the same unwanted events perpetuate back into your life on a number of occasions regardless of all the minor changes you make in your life. Until you do change how you are feeling and your thinking process, all the exterior changes will be meaningless or temporary.
During the toughest times in life, you get the opportunity to build and discover strong characteristics that you never knew you had. So cherish it. It is always a blessing of some kind in disguise. But you must realise that it all comes down to CHOICES and it does not happen by CHANCES. The only chance you have is the chance to choose. Your good choices can bring you good luck. It is simply the small choices you make in different situations in life that creates your future, which then becomes your past. So, be wise and make good choices. Just stop and calm your noisy mind that is yelling out all the bad things that have ever happened to you and tune out self-criticism, guilt, hate and self-pity. Respect yourself, love yourself and forgive yourself no matter what. This is the starting point to a better you and a better new life. A life you deserve.
Resistance is not strength. Pushing through is strength. In hard situations, if we resist or deny what is happening to us, we will only break down with time because every word, every reaction and every emotion will only hit you hard. Become translucent and allow the troubles to pass through you. Allow the negativity of others to pass straight through you and do not allow it to get trapped inside of you. Filter it out. Keep only the feelings, words, reactions and emotions that make you smile and feel alive.
Let the pages of this book and the stories in these chapters, wake up the hero inside of you. And remember, it is okay to feel down, it is okay to worry, it is okay to be upset and to be afraid, but the key is to see past the negative emotions. Make them a temporary thing and do not allow these emotions to build up and be permanent or become a habit. Do not panic that you are stressing or worrying about the issues and problems you are facing. It is normal and this balance is what makes life so beautiful. The key is to move from the state of worry to look for solutions and answers to get you closer to what it is that you truly want without letting fear stay for too long and to allow your courage to grow instead. By doing this, you move from the state of a worrier to becoming a true warrior.
This is not a religious book, but our stories are true events and some of our heroes got through their difficult times with faith in their religion. Therefore, there will be some religious references across some of the stories. I do not intend to promote any religion in this book, but to show how faith, positive emotions and action can change your life using real examples of ordinary people who became extraordinary. The faith I talk about may be religious or non-religious. But as long as you have faith in a power beyond and above the human power that in many other books or speeches over several years has been referred to as the superior power, source, energy, universe, higher self or by many beliefs as God, you will have breakthroughs, become limitless, truly live a quality life. That is the key. Faith is simply trusting. The faith in a definite destination regardless of how unknown the path may be. Rather than figuring out every detail of the path and hoping you will get results believe that this superior power figures out the path and all you have to do is to choose an outcome with clarity and take action. That is critical — the clarity of your goals — because without it, no path can be identified. So flick through these pages and see how others found blessings, strength and love through their biggest challenges in life. Every chapter begins with a quote. I suggest you write all of them down and even add your own statements to them and make a list of positive affirmations you will say to yourself every day. Just know that no matter what it is you are going through, you can make it, you can do it and you can achieve anything because you are a miracle and you need to believe that.