flower in cement

Who Do You Want to Be When Life Gets Hard?

December 08, 20243 min read

Life has a way of throwing curveballs, doesn’t it? Some days, you wake up and feel like the universe is testing your patience and resilience. So, how do you respond when things are hard? Not just the minor hiccups, but the deep, soul-stirring challenges. Those moments where you feel stuck, overwhelmed, or even paralyzed. It’s in these moments that who you choose to be can reshape your experience entirely.

The first thing I want to say is this: it is perfectly okay to fall apart for a little bit if you need to. Really!

But then decide if you want that to be your final answer - or whether you want to shift into some other gear.

Start by asking yourself: Who do you want to be? When the pressure is on, do you want to be someone who crumbles under stress or someone who catches herself doing that and instead pauses, regroups, and moves forward with purpose? Life isn’t about being perfect—it’s about being intentional. Decide who you want to be when faced with difficulty. Maybe it’s someone who shows grace under fire, or someone who doesn’t shy away from asking for help when needed.

And let’s not forget how you want to be. Do you want to approach challenges with kindness toward yourself or fall into the trap of harsh self-criticism? The truth is, self-compassion can be the most powerful tool you wield when things get tough. It allows you to create space to feel and process, rather than pushing through on autopilot. This also includes having some compassion for yourself if you do fall apart for a while. After all, you are only human!

Now consider how you want to feel. Not every hard moment needs to feel like the end of the world. What if you could consciously choose to feel grounded, hopeful, or even just curious about what this challenge is teaching you? Shifting your focus from what’s going wrong to how you can grow from it can be transformative. Can you be sad about something that is going on, but still be happy overall in your life?

Finally, think about how you want to act. Your actions define your reality. Will you face the storm with courage, take small steps forward, or reach out to someone who can offer support? Acting with intention, even if it’s just breathing through the stress, is a powerful way to reclaim control. And getting help is a critical part of self-care!

When life feels heavy, remind yourself: this is a moment, not a forever. Who you decide to be in this moment is entirely up to you.

Want to take it to the Ninja level? 

Decide in advance who you want to be, how you want to be, how you want to feel, and how you want to act. 

Rehearse it. 

Create the neural pathways so that when you are facing something difficult, your brain feels like it already knows what to do.

If you want a bit of help in figuring out how to get through tough moments, days, weeks, months, or years. Please get in touch with me. I promise you it can be easier!


Write to me at [email protected] to let me know what you'd like help with, or book a call:

Stress/overwhelm/work-life/relationship issues: endselfsabotagenow.com


  

To receive more content like this right to your inbox, click here:

Stress-Free Professionals and Entrepreneurs Facebook Group:

MindsetStressOverwhelmSelf-CareEmotions
blog author image

Jill R. Rosenthal, M.D.

Dr. Rosenthal is an award-winning Harvard and Stanford educated physician who retired after a 35+ year career teaching and practicing medicine at Tufts Medical School and Group Health Cooperative/Kaiser Permanente and began a second career as a wellness and mindset coach, after experiencing her own medical journey and developing an interest in other areas of health and wellness. She provides premium coaching to help busy professionals and entrepreneurs rapidly release unconscious thoughts, emotions, and behavior patterns that block them and hold them back from their true greatness, so that they can easily achieve their goals without struggling or self-sabotage, allowing them to live the life they dream of, and deserve.

Back to Blog

Relea​se It! ​​...Forever

The Designer Life Doctor

Premium Coaching

...With Dr. Jill Rosenthal

Copyright 2023 Release It!...Forever LLC