Endurance – the ability to withstand hardship or adversity – always seems impossible until you have no other choice. Before you even realize, the situation is already out of control and all you can do is find a way to get through it. At that time, worrying about how you ended up there is only going to slow you down and extend the phase. Instead, you need the courage to pick yourself up and find the next action that will get you out of the misery.
Ask for help!
Always be aware that you are most probably not the only one to face a difficult situation. And you are certainly not the first. This world has lasted long enough to give a variety of experiences to everyone that someone you know might have gone through similar times. Be it a personal circumstance or a professional one, be open to ask for help. What you need is the knowledge of who can help you in that situation, rather than how you can get through it all alone.
With the right panel of advisors, the entire thing will seem like a cakewalk. Have people that might have experienced the same or something similar. Have people that know how you function to motivate you to be yourself. Also have a few friends to give you the much needed emotional support. They need not talk to each other but all of their inputs will give you the necessary energy to get through the tough time.
The Learning Experience!
Just like how you are not the only person to go through a difficult time, this would not be the only time you go through it either. It might happen again, to you or to a friend, in the same or different form, immediately or at some point in the future. But that next time, you already know that you have been through it once, and you can certainly do it again. So, treat this one as a learning experience. Take a mental note of how your emotions changed as the situation progressed, how your advisors helped you internalize and compartmentalize, and how you could stay calm even when the world seems to be falling apart. All of these will be helpful the next time you have to go through it.
We deal with different types of crisis all the time. With prior knowledge and some external help, you can get through anything and everything.
Finally, a quote from one of the songs that motivated me to stay strong through a recent experience:
கால்கள் தடுக்கி மலையில் இருந்து கீழ போகும் நொடியிலே
– Vivek Velmurugan, Thee Thalapathy, Varisu
கைகள் அசைத்து பாரு புதிய இறக்கை பிரக்கும் வழியிலே
When you slip and fall down a mountain
– Vivek Velmurugan, Thee Thalapathy, Varisu
Try moving your hands to get new wings on the way
