Life can be tough, messy and sometimes plain old unbearable. When all you experience are a series of losses; loved ones, possibilities, relationships, opportunities and jobs it is easy to give up any hope of things ever getting better.  The times when life just decides to beat you down over and over again can be a test of our souls, of our inner power and because of this they can also be the biggest opportunity for our growth into a greater self.  So when things come crashing down around you, and you find yourself going through your worst times, your only savior is inner strength.

Inner strength is the strong conviction that comes from within, when you believe in yourself. Your inner strength is expressed in forms of will power, positive attitude, belief, and confidence in yourself. It’s the positive image and assessment of yourself that makes you feel good, capable, and courageous. It’s something that says within you “I can” no matter what the problem or situation. Your inner strength can make you do wonders. It is a vast reservoir of power that springs from within an inexhaustible source of miraculous energy. Inner strength is characterized by self-control, self-discipline, detachment, persistence, peace of mind, and the ability to concentrate. Here is how to discover the strength you didn’t know you had within when all seems lost.

Stay connected to your inner self

Misery begins when we lose touch with who we are and start looking for satisfaction from our relationships, careers or success.  The outer circumstances of your life matter, but they can’t replace your inner peace and strength without your consent. Once you become aware that happiness doesn’t lie in your circumstances, but in your heart and soul, you have discovered who you are at the deepest level. And this inner source of peace and happiness will be there for you no matter what.

Embrace life

When it comes to embracing life, Charles F. Glassman summed it up beautifully in his book Brain Drain The Breakthrough That Will Change Your Life. “The way I see it, our natural human instinct is to fight or flee that which we perceive to be dangerous. Although this mechanism evolved to protect us, it serves as the single greatest limiting process to our growth. To put this process in perspective and not let it rule my life, I

expect the unexpected;

make the unfamiliar familiar;

make the unknown known;

make the uncomfortable comfortable;

believe the unbelievable.”

The truth is we all want to protect ourselves from things that hurt or wound, but we can’t. Life isn’t perfect and wanting it to be so only leads to unhappiness. Joy, pain and all the feelings in between are part of the reality of living. You can try to avoid dealing with difficult experiences but in the end, life always has its way. It’s better to open your arms to all that life has on offer instead of letting fear rob you of the chance to a greater and more fulfilling life.

Don’t give up hope

Nothing can be achieved without hope. Sometimes our pain can blind us but as Rumi says: “Your pain can become your greatest ally in life’s search for love and wisdom.”  With hope you are able to make peace with yourself and your past, and allow compassion and loving kindness to heal and bless you in ways you might not yet be able to imagine. What if instead of wishing life was a certain way you decided to let that go and simply wish to feel happy; wish for guidance to open your heart to all of life and wish you could embrace every aspect of it with love.