When Life Gives You Lemons: How To Make The Best Of Bad Situations

 

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels

It doesn’t matter how hard we try to avoid them; bad situations can come out of the blue and bring our world to a grinding halt. This could be something like the current COVID-19 pandemic, a global recession or a mistake that we made that has left us with a mess to tidy up. Sometimes, no matter what you are doing, things go wrong.

One of the best ways to handle unfavorable situations is to keep a positive mindset. Although it is a cliche the old saying of ‘when life gives you lemons, make lemonade’ really does help to pull you through even the worst crisis. If you can look for the silver lining in every dark cloud, then you will put yourself on a positive footing and be able to handle anything that life throws your way.

With the right mindset, you then need to get planning. Sitting still doesn’t change anything and will eventually make you feel even worse. When we are constructive, we feel much better. Even if we are only making small changes in the day, we are chipping away at the problem, and the way to climb a mountain is to take it step by step! Write down the problem and then make a list of all the things you can do to improve the situation. This could be anything from hiring a car accident attorney, to releasing some savings from an investment. When you work through a problem and highlight the key areas you can make improvements, you are laying the groundwork to changing the situation. While looking at how you can improve things, you also need to list all the ways the situation is going to affect you negatively. This way, you can be prepared for anything that is to come. Better to prepare for the very worst and not end up there, than to find yourself in a situation you weren't expecting at all.

After planning comes productivity, this is where you start to implement the plan little by little. You should start with the situation that is causing you the most threat, then work back from there. It can be complicated working out where to start, but if you have dealt with the planning correctly, then you will have highlighted the right path and all possible outcomes. This part is often the hardest, especially if the situation is of your own making. Here we may find we need to be accountable. Accountability is one of the core values all people should have, along with integrity and honesty. If you have accountability, you can accept that you are, in part, to blame and work out how to fix it.

In some cases, it might start with a simple apology. In others, it could mean opening up to a judge and explaining your mistakes. However, when people show they understand the errors of their ways, they are often forgiven and given some kind of assistance.

Help is vital. Some of us might feel strong enough to pull up our sleeves and deal with the challenges head-on. This isn’t always a great idea. Even if you know you were at fault, asking someone to support, you will mean you have a person in your corner. This can be very useful on days that you find a struggle. You will find some days a struggle. Dealing with a crisis has ups and downs along the way. So find a friend who can be there when the going gets tough and work together. You may find this is as simple as you having someone that you can talk to. If you are talking, you are healing.

Although you should have accountability, you also need to have forgiveness. This applies to whatever has caused the issue. It might be the government, your partner or yourself. Process the situation, accept that it isn’t fair and then forgive. You don’t have to forget; in fact, forgetting could lead to a repeat scenario. Just make sure you find forgiveness so you can move on positively and focus on being constructive. When we can’t forgive we become resentful, this can make us feel bitter. All of these feelings can pull us away from our plan and make us counteract. No one ever made a good decision when they were hurt, angry or anxious. Forgive and move forward. Looking only at the future.

Bad situations are always going to happen. It’s what you make of them that matters. Use them to empower you, teach you and help you grow.

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