There I stood, in front of a room full of male inmates waiting for me to start my presentation. They were of different religions and upbringings, but they all gathered for the same thing. They sat in that cement room staring up at me, waiting to hear about how to stay positive in challenging times.
As these men serve their time, they have a choice: They can either become a better person or a bitter person. A choice we all must make. Holocaust survivor and prominent psychiatrist Viktor E. Frankl said, “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” Life isn’t fair or just, but how we cope with it makes a difference.
Read More: When You Have a Setback
In order to better our lives after bad experiences, we must first embrace our feelings. After we have validated these emotions, we can take a step back and look for a lesson in these difficult times. What can I learn from the divorce, loss of job, illness or death of a loved one? When we look deep within, we can find the answers to these and other questions. This might take weeks, months or years. I know this is hard to do, but it’s possible with God’s help, prayer and suppport from others.
What is the number one lesson you have learned from your negative experiences? Please share with us.
Lord, help us get through the challenges in life and discover the good in the bad.
