Have you ever had something happen to you that you think is so awful? Maybe you’ve done something that you feel is so terrible that you will never get past it? We are all human and sometimes we hit those “storms” in life and we think that they will never end.

When weather gets bad and a thunderstorm hits hard, we want to know when it will be over. We witnessed a thunderstorm recently. As we watched, lightening flashed, rain came down in sheets and it started to hail. Wind blew tree branches back and forth. We wondered how long the storm was going to last. Fortunately, the weather channel told us when the storm would pass and it didn’t last long.

It got us thinking how we all have been caught up in “storms” in our lives lately. The ‘storms” we are facing in life now are a pandemic, social unrest, and educational, political and financial uncertainty that is causing a lot of stress.  There can also be personal and family concerns going on at the same time. No weather channel can tell us when things will smooth out and when these life storms will pass.

We so want to get back to the “normal” we knew just a few months ago. What we realize, though, is that we don’t have control over many of the things that are happening. Actually, we never have control of everything. It’s just that now there seems to be more things out of control. We’ve heard people describe these times by saying that life and the world seem “upside down”.

So let’s look at what can help. We’ll start by looking inward, then looking outward and, of course, looking upward. By looking inward, we are talking about taking a look at what you want to change in your life. No matter how difficult it seems at this point, by making a commitment to change you are already on your way to having a better life.  We often suggest revisiting the Serenity Prayer by Reinhold Niebuhr. It goes like this, “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.” Notice how it works well for addressing any problem!

Now that you’ve identified what you want to change, what’s in your control and what’s not, you can look outward for help. Know that if you’ve made a mistake or something terrible has happened, you can learn from it. Tony Robbins said, “You get a second chance every second.”

There’s always a way out of the mess. You don’t need to figure it out all by yourself. As you begin to take action in the desired direction, look outward and reach for help. You’ll find that help will appear. We all need help at different times. It’s a blessing to get help and it’s also a joy to be able to give help. So when people show up to help you, accept it.  Then, when you can give help, use your skills and talents to help others. That’s how we all make it through difficult times.

You might wonder what you can do to help others. There are plenty of ways when you’re ready. Maybe you can volunteer someplace or share a smile or a listening ear.  Our grandmothers said that all they could do was pray for people. Prayer is helpful and a powerful gift!

You’ll also want to be sure to look upward. This means that you look to your Higher Power, whatever name you use for infinite wisdom and strength beyond your own strength.  Prayer can help you focus and be specific on your goal. It can help to support you through the challenging times. Also, what we’ve noticed is that as you look upward and take action, your Higher Power and the Universe will help you along the way. We recognize that we say this often, but it works so well and it makes the journey much easier and faster.  

What about you? What change do you want for your life? When facing storms in life, we encourage you to look inward and make a commitment to the changes you want to make. Then, you’ll benefit by looking outward and upward for help, wisdom and guidance along the way. Remember, you’re not alone. We always say, ‘Each day is a gift and a new beginning.’ We wish you the very best as you make the changes, meet the challenges and successfully overcome the storms of life.

© Doug and Lynn Nodland 2020 Articles and videos may be shared in their entirety with attribution.