Don't Let Life's Challenges Drag You Down

Last week, I ran into two women I know. Both had been recently laid off from the marketing team of a well-known apparel company in the Northeast. Their attitudes, however, were like day and night—which was brought home even more by the fact that I met them both on the same day.

The first one was bitter and resentful. “How could they do that to me?” she complained. “I’ve been serving them for so many years! Not that I ever got a thank-you for it.”

She was afraid she might not be able to find a new job as well paid as her old one. The fear of what would happen to her, her husband, and her two kids was clearly written in her face.

I was a little apprehensive when I bumped into the other woman that same day, but my apprehension vanished when I saw her upbeat smile.

“Oh, I’m fine,” she said, her eyes sparkling. “Spending a lot of time with my kids right now. You know, it’s a layoff, nothing personal. And as long as you stay positive, good things will come to you.”

She looked at me and grinned. “You should know—you’ve been always really good at this kind of thing.”

I felt a bit ashamed because, frankly, as the “manifestation expert,” I’m supposed to be the one who knows and reminds others of these things. But I had so empathized with the misery of my other acquaintance that I had actually started vibrating on the same low energy level of pessimism and hurt.

So how do you get and hold that upbeat energy when something bad happens to you?

The easiest and most effective way I know of is to “reframe” it. I believe I’m here on this Earth to evolve, spiritually and as a person. So I view everything that happens to me as a learning experience—and a chance to overcome a challenging situation.

First of all, you have to accept the situation. Surrender to what is. 

This is a very simple thing, but that doesn’t mean it’s necessarily easy. If you already believe in a Supreme Being, you’ll probably find it easier because surrender to the Divine is a central tenet of most religions. 

Say “Thank you, God/Spirit/Creator, for sending this valuable experience my way.” And then ask for help to learn from the experience and transform it into something wonderful. 

Go on, ask for a miracle. Even better, expect miracles, and you won’t be disappointed. Just stay upbeat and look for opportunities presenting themselves to you in the following weeks and months. 

When I’ve approached challenges with this attitude of sincere gratitude and optimism, Spirit has never let me down, not once. I was fired twice in my life, and both times it turned out to be a blessing in disguise within the span of mere days.

This story shows you something else too: you can never let your guard down. 

I’ve been actively practicing manifestation for over twenty years (and even teaching it at times!), but I’m as susceptible as anyone to plunging back into the morass of dark thoughts and pessimism and general obliviousness to those higher principles. 

If you’re facing a challenge today, I’m daring you to reframe it. Thank Spirit for it every day and ask for guidance and protection. Surrender to what is; don’t fight your current circumstances. Just let yourself be carried by that soft current, like a slow-flowing river in the landscape of your life. And trust that it will carry you. 

On the other side of what may look now like a dark tunnel may be a very bright light.