Life's Ups and Downs by Maureen McMahon

It seems when things go right for very long, something comes along to knock them askew. We all want to have a happy, easy-going life with no crises or major problems, but life just isn’t like that. It’s easy to get into thinking God or the Universe or Fate just ‘has it in’ for us when these things come along to mess up our contentment. But it’s not true. Unexpected things happen – they’re part of life. We don’t like them, but we can be sure they’ll come along. It’s human nature to fall into routine …to find comfort from a known set of circumstances. When something unknown and unexpected disrupts our normal routine, we become unsure – we feel threatened or fearful. We lose our sense of security.

While it’s very difficult to retrain our natural responses, it’s sometimes helpful to consider these things when our life turns upside down:

1. Nothing is permanent. Whatever it is will change.
2. Life naturally goes in peaks and troughs – ups and downs. We can be certain there will be ups again if we can weather the downs.
3. It’s okay to be fearful – we’re human. But worry and fear won’t change the situation, so if we can find one hopeful thought and stick to it, we can carry that with us until things improve.
4. Adages are around for a very good reason – they’ve withstood the test of time. An adage here is: Time heals all wounds.
5. Remember the good times. There will be more if you can just be patient.

For everyone who’s going through a difficult time in their life, don’t despair. Life is precious even if it’s difficult. In time, this too will pass. You’re not alone.