When Life Gives You Lemons

Pain is real.

Have you ever gone to office or school nursing something and you don’t know if you can get through the day? Something has upset you or hurt you, you have a problem, you had a fight with someone, you’re not feeling well, in short, meron kang pinagdadaanan. But you just have to work, or attend your class just the same. No excuses. Isn’t this challenging? You don’t want people to notice. You just want to keep silent but you can’t help but talk to them anyway. Isn’t this the pits? You wish that the hours will fly, so you could go. You just want the day to end.

It’s hard to put up a brave front, to put up a show that you’re ok, when deep inside you are not. You cannot tell your boss that you can’t work or your mind’s not working and you can’t focus. It’s hard to pretend that you’re your usual self. That everything is ok. You can’t even pause for a while and cry or mourn. Or when you just can’t control your emotions, isn’t it awkward when they hear you bawl or sniff?

Sometimes, we are given a bitter pill to swallow. Or sour ones. When life gives you lemons, and things don’t happen the way you hoped or how you planned it to be, how do you survive? What do you do when things are not going right for you? And how do you pick up the pieces?

Give yourself a break. Coach Tim Cone (PBA's most accomplished coach) said, quoting Stephen Covey, in our midyear conference, “After losses, pull back. After wins, push hard.” It’s ok to lose sometimes, don’t be too hard on yourself. And it’s ok to fail. Sometimes, we fail to live up to expectations. But wala naman nagsasabing dapat perfect tayo all the time.

Keep your sense of humor. This has always enabled me to survive and kept me going. Focus on the good and find joy in the moment even if it’s damn difficult, even if it’s a great effort to keep your spirits up during these times. Ito ang pinakamahirap gawin. We all know that somehow, we will heal and we will bounce back. “This, too, shall pass.” And well-meaning friends will tell us the same thing, “Kaya mo yan.” Pero yung “at the moment” or yung “in the meantime”, yung proseso that you have to go through, that’s the hard part.  

In everything you do, put your 100%, give it your best shot - even if there’s no guarantee that you will be happy and successful, that you will win. Even if they say walang forever.  In the end, at least you would say you gave it your all. And you will not say you regret the chances you did not take.  

Embrace the struggle and let it make you stronger. It won’t last forever. Remember: tough times don’t last, but tough people do.

~TheGoodGirl