Last updated on 25 April 2020.
This is a guest post by Lauren Kelly, who posted the original article on her blog.
1. Hope During Tough Times
Sometimes, no matter how strong it shines, the sun's rays can't seep through the clouds. Sometimes the sky is dark and murky, the rain is heavy and cold, the thunder is deafening and strong all while the wind howls sending shivers through your bones. Sometimes even nature can't handle the pressure and even the sky itself explodes.
Life, like nature's sky, can be stormy at times. As much as we may want to laugh under the summer sunbeams and dance with the soft spring breeze, winter always eventually comes. Suddenly, a monsoon falls to earth, seemingly washing every sparkle of hope and each glimmer of peace away.
Listen to Justin Malik narrate this essay on Episode 981 of the Optimal Living Daily podcast.
However, there is hope; sunshine comes to all those who feel hail, storms don't last forever and on the other side of the clouds is a bright blue sky.
Here are some things I have found help me weather the storms of life.
‘And once the storm is over, you won't remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won't even be sure whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm, you won't be the same person who walked in. That's what this storm's all about.'
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2. Be Kind To Yourself
Just because the times are hard on you doesn't mean you have to be hard on yourself. Take this falling rain and shower yourself with love. Do nice things for yourself that will help you through this storm. It may be something as simple as making yourself a hot cup of yummy tea or maybe something more grandeur like booking a self healing retreat in Costa Rica, just to escape for a little while. You deserve rest, you deserve peace, you deserve happiness and you deserve respite from this pain.
3. Silver Linings
The storm may tear you apart, but you get to decide how to put yourself back together again. This period of personal pain may bring with it its perks. Flowers can't grow without rain, each drop of water deepens a tree's roots. The storms of life may have struck your heart, windswept your dreams and drowned the magic of your soul, yet still, here you are, ready to bloom. Allow the cycles of nature to help you to take your time of pain and turn it into your own sense of beauty. Planted deep in the wounds of your darkness were seeds, waiting for this magical moment to grow into exquisite flowers. One can cut all of your stems but that will not stop the light from shining; no adversity will stop you from blossoming.
The night has passed, the morning is coming, it’s time to live your life in full bloom, young wildflower.
Take this time of pain and turn it into your own sense of beauty. When you are going through a tough time it is undeniably difficult to try and see any good in it. Perhaps one of the most patronising things people can say is ‘everything happens for a reason', (I am the biggest culprit of saying this), but it may just be true. I promise that this painful period will strengthen and nourish you, you may unveil a deep roar of thunder within of which you never knew you possessed. You may think you can not withstand the storm but what if this reveals to you that, you, you are the storm. Click here to read my post about embracing change.
4. Rainbows are Coming
‘Everyone wants happiness and nobody wants pain but you can't have a rainbow without a little rain.' The pain you are experiencing can not compare to the beauty that is coming. Every storm runs out of rain, just as every heartache runs out of pain.
When I was first admitted into a specialist unit for my Anorexia, I was hopeless. All I could see and feel was grey; no light or sunbeams shone upon me. Having spent nine months in hospital battling my demons, I can truly admit that a glimmer of hope sparkled through my clouds. Now, months later, it is still hard, but I am able to see a silver lining that once upon a time was just an illusive dream.
Good things are coming, I truly believe and hope that they are for you and I both. We just have to be strong and brave and full of hope. The moment you feel like giving up is the very moment the tide will turn, the clouds will clear and the beautiful prism of the rainbow will appear.
5. The Eye of the Storm
When you are feeling hopeless and full of despair, stop and tell yourself, ‘I am alive'. How liberating is it to know that you have survived every single day of your life. Every time that your life was a seemingly unending hurricane of hardship, of which you thought would never end…it did. You survived the whirlwinds before and you will survive them again. Everyone has had experiences of which they thought they would never ever bounce back from; death, divorce, destruction…anything, but they did.
Think back on a really painful period of your life and ask yourself, ‘Does it still matter now, was it worth all of the self induced worry and stress?'. Hopefully the answer is no. Like the eye of the storm, open your mind to a bigger more beautiful perspective. You are alive, you are breathing, in very simple animalistic terms, how could anything truly be wrong?
6. Dance in The Rain
‘Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain', one of my favourite quotes! The rhythm of nature doesn't stop for anyone, neither does the cycle of life. The storm will pass, the sun will shine, then the winds will turn again. Learn to fall in love with the uncertainty of the weather, the changing of the seasons, the unpredictability of life and the universe's irrational reasons. It may just make your world a little bit brighter.
‘Snowdrops are blossoming, cherries are sweetening, air is softening; the beauty of nature is reawakening. Spring, a beautiful reminder of how enchanting change can be.'
Listen to Justin Malik narrate this essay on Episode 981 of the Optimal Living Daily podcast.
Lauren Kelly is an 18 year old yoga-doing, sun-shine loving, soul-searching, love-spreading Irish girl. Learn more about her and check out her full blog at: https://thepeachydream.blogspot.com
