Rules for Winning Trials or Tough Situations
Excerpted from Robin Sharma’s Discover your Destiny.
Rule# 1: Remember that life is a series of seasons. Every human being will have to endure the harshness of a few winters in order to get the glory of best summers. Never forget that winters do not last.
Rule# 2: Join the Hope Club. Big, beautiful and seemingly impossible goals are superb vehicles to keep you inspired. Da Vinci said: “Fix your course to a star and you can navigate any storm.” When you are reaching for great and noble goals that speak to the best within you, your desire to reach them will pull you through the tough times that you will encounter along the seeker’s path.
Rule# 3: Keep in mind, at all times, that we grow the most from our greatest suffering. As we go through it, it hurts. But as we move through it, it also heals. When a jug of water falls to the floor and cracks, what was hidden within begins to pour out. When life sends you one of its curves, remember that it has come to help crack you open so that all the love, power and potential that had been slumbering within you can be poured into the world outside you.
Rule# 4: Failure is a choice. Nothing can stop a man or a woman who simply refuses to be kept down. The book – The Go-Getter is very helpful on this point. Just make a decision from the center of your heart that, no matter what happens to you, you will keep walking the authentic path. Doing so will ensure you a life of real success.
Rule# 5: During tough times, there is a tendency to let go of yourself. As you encounter adversity, have the discipline to maintain your routine – get up early, do your holy hour, eat very well, exercise, spend time with nature. And make sure that you do all you can to keep all four of your central dimensions – the mind, the body, the emotions and the spirit – in fine operating order.
Rule# 6: Feel your feelings. When you are facing hard times, some people will tell you to “just think positive thoughts.” Such advice is not helpful. While living in the past is unhealthy, one must not rush to reframe a so-called negative event as a positive one. Doing so will throw you into denial. Feel through the feelings of hurt, anger or sadness that will naturally surface. It’s okay to be with them. Processing through them allows you to release them. Just don’t get stuck in them. The key is really to strike a balance.
Rule# 7: Remember that, no matter how hard things get, you are never alone.
yeah every time its easy to say be positive but diffcult to follow. how to keep the sprit & motivation high when some is lost and not able to find aim of life…
Hi Kim,
Know that bad times do not last forever. Find your aim. It’s ok to feel lost, just keep walking.
And keep communicating. My experience is that when you stop communicating in tough situations, you will stay there for longer.
:Nirav
How to cope with life when you know that there is a physical disability stopping you from enjoying something you like the most and always dreamt of doing?
Guess only rule 2 (hope) will hold. And how can I apply rule 6 in such a situation?
In this case, bad times ARE going to last forever.. Just feeling helpless and angry.
Hi Pratham,
A few questions you can ask yourself:
Are you holding somebody responsible for your physical constraints? Are you willing to forgive them?
Is it really impossible to do what you dreamt of with the given conditions? Think again. Most often we (and our reasons) stop us from achieving our dreams. When we are committed for them, and work through them, the whole universe aligns to make the dream come alive.
How long do you want to be in the feelings of helplessness and anger? Only you can decide what you want to keep them aside and pick up something bigger than yourself. Something bigger than yourself will make your problems disappear.
Free up!
All the darkness in the world cannot put out the smallest candle. The darker it is, more brightly shines the candle. instead of complaining about the dark search for your candle. Believe me; It exists
i do agree with the suggestions although it is not easy to follow but following it will definitely be beneficial for all those who are passing through tough situation.
YOU KNOW YOUR GUTS…AND THEY SAY YOU WILL OVERCOME IT. HOWEVER…YOU MUST..MUST GO THROUGH THE PAIN….DO NOT AVOID IT.
i know all thse things from my childhood and this key ideas are not new at all..but still i am unable to follow them..i do follow them for few days..but after some time the motivation loose somewhere…its not consistent..
You know the best part of going through tough times and getting out of it – Else there will be nothing in our life that is worth remembering about.
Thank you for your words of wisdom. I appreciate that you mixed the practical with the spiritual. Combinating both in philosophy, beliefs and practices has helped me through many a tough time. Those of us who are on a spiritual path go through tough transitions, too. Having a strong spiritual foundation sure helps…
hi pratham and all those with physical disabilities,
i know it is really difficult to come to terms with physical disabilities especillay when they are not your fault, say congenital disorders. “perseverence can change most things, even nature”, said the greatest business man of all time mr john d rockefeller. having said le me take your attention to the fact that rockfeller is an immensely realistic man, who did ackoledge the fact perseverence can only change most things, there are things beyond our control.
well you can’t except a lame man to compete asfa powell, also a lame man shouldn’t even aim to do that. the lame surely must be having some other faculties and it is upto him to exploit them. it is follishnes and a waste of resouces on the part of a crippled person to attempt to beat the sprint king.u must concentrate on your strengths and allign your aims accordingly.
as mr dhirubhai ambani said”dream, with your eyes open”
Thanks for compiling these here Nirav. Your site definitely acts as a source of inspiration during hard times. Keep up the good work. I have put Robin Sharma’s excerpts on my blog at http://www.khushi.wordpress.com and linked to your page from there.
Cheers
Khushi
a nice attempt indeed my dear friend! please acvcept my heartfelt congratulations. you have taken a nice step in putting the whole of sharma’s message in a nut shall.
Hi nirav,
The book showcases a new perspective to get closer to oneself and innate dreams. We all dream but its only the determined and focussed who acquire. Its how well we control our mind and discipline ourselves that finally paves a satisfying and peaceful zeal of LIFE in us.
Another suggest is ‘The Artist’s Way’ by Julia Cameron. When we are in the path of spiritual transformation towards adding a meaning to our existence, there comes just more ways and no hurdles as such.The choice is entirely ours..Isn’t it?
Regards,
Sreelatha
I have been through the worst and am out of it now. When I look back, I find I did most of the suggested positive things to come out of the rut, long before I read Robin Sharma. These are instictive to man, but seem to have regressed somehow. I like to think Robin and Nirav are helping us to bring these important instincts to the fore. What I am saying is one should look within to find the strengths that will help overcome any adverse situation.
Warm regards
Chetan
I am away in a foreign country away from my family and friends that I am used ot being around. I’ve always been a person to have people around me. Now that I am away it is getting difficult for me to cope with. Something happened where I wasn’t selected for something that I worked very hard for and in actuality did all the things that was expected of me and then some. And now I have to deal with the fact that I am in different country and it hurts very bad, I cant stop crying at night but I know I hav to stay to support my family and grow up as a man, any advice?
Go home. Be happy that you have learnt how much you love your family and friends. Be glad that you are a man with an open heart who can love. Don’t worry about whatever it was you failed to achieve. It probably was not right for you at that time any way. Set yourself new challenges. If you want to stay where you are, make the effort to reach out to good, kind people there. You can make new friends, though don’t expect it to be easy. But really, why waste time being miserable when there is so much to enjoy in the world. Don’t cry, just draw up a plan of action. If it doesn’t work out, draw up another. In the end, things will work out the way you want them to.
its wonderful book on forwardlooking attitude for the future