No doubt about it – this life will chew you up and spit you out from time to time. However, just because you go through struggles, does not mean you have to give up on life entirely. In fact, pushing through the pain will teach you valuable lessons, and show you that light always exists even in the darkest places. Feeling broken can make you feel like you have nowhere to turn, like you’ve hit rock bottom and you have no way out.
We’ve all been there, but don’t allow these feelings to take over your whole life. The pain won’t last forever, and on the other side of it, you’ll find more bliss than you could’ve ever imagined. We live in a world of duality, so of course we can’t feel whole and complete without knowing the despair and hopelessness of being broken.
Here are 5 things to remember when you feel broken:
“Sometimes you don’t realize your own strength until you come face to face with your greatest weakness.” –Â Susan Gale
1. Remember not to give up.
We all go through struggles in life – it’s inevitable. Think of how unsatisfying life would be without challenges, though. We would never grow and learn without going through hard times; we would simply walk around feeling stagnant and bored. Obstacles keep us on our toes, encourage us to change and continue to break through barriers, and not fall into a trap of comfort and complacency. Just because times seem tough now, does not mean they will remain this way for long. Just keep your eyes toward the sun, and you’ll eventually find that the shadows disappear behind you.
2. Remember to open your heart to change.
A lot of times, we complicate life by resisting change. However, change keeps us afloat, helps us grow, and ensures that we continue evolving and learning important lessons. No one said change feels comfortable, but if it did, would it really be worth it? If you haven’t noticed, the best things happen in life when we reach a crossroads, when life seems so dark and depressing that we can’t imagine it getting any better. Usually, when you’ve reached your limit and can’t imagine going on any longer, this exasperation and desperation actually shows you the right path to take. Nothing good in life comes easily, but it wouldn’t feel nearly as satisfying if it just fell into your lap.
3. Remember that you have a choice.
At any point in time, you have the power to control your life – no outside force decides what job you will take, where you will live, or what attitude you will have. Everything lies in your hands, so instead of fearing or denying this responsibility, embrace it. You don’t have to work at a job you hate, or live somewhere that doesn’t make your heart happy, or stay in a relationship just because it feels safe. The moment you notice yourself falling out of love with life, you need to step back and reevaluate what decisions you’ve made thus far.
Remember, feeling broken just means that we need to make better choices for ourselves, so give yourself the opportunity to do so. You deserve to feel happy, but sometimes, it takes some elbow grease and a total upheaval in life to get there.
4. Remember that pain doesn’t last forever.
Pain never goes on forever; if it did, we wouldn’t even know what happiness feels like. Just as we said before, life works in a realm of duality – we must feel sadness and despair to know joy, as frustrating as that might seem. Remember also that it’s okay to feel uncomfortable – instead of fighting these feelings, allow them to just pass through you. What you resist persists, so the longer you go to war with your innermost feelings, the longer they will linger. Embrace the pain, learn and grow from it, and thank it for teaching you valuable lessons. Pain can serve as a very valuable teacher if we accept it instead of condemning it and wishing it would leave us alone.
5. Remember to focus on all the good in your life.
Oftentimes when we feel broken, we tend to just fixate on everything wrong in our lives instead of everything going right. Even if you can only feel thankful for getting out of bed this morning, extending gratitude toward life helps more goodness flow your way. If you focus your attention on everything going badly, guess what? You will only attract more of the same. Countless studies have linked gratitude with better relationships, improved health, a more optimistic attitude about life, and much more.
If you’d like to read more about things to keep in mind when you feel broken, read our related article here.
