Dark times come into all of our lives, sometimes slowly, other times all at once. When you’re in that dark tunnel, many people will tell you to focus on the light at the end of the tunnel–the end of your trials. There’s a secret to getting to that light sooner. Find the light right where you are, in the middle of the tunnel. If you can keep positive when things look bad, you’ll help make things better for yourself. Hold on to the light, and you’ll bring the end of the tunnel that much closer to you.
1. Focus on the Present
When you run into trouble, it can be tempting to focus on how you got there and how to get out of it. Focusing on the past or the future doesn’t help: you can’t change the past and you don’t know the future. You exist in this moment, it is the only time you have power over. Don’t worry about how you got into trouble. Don’t worry about how you might get out of trouble. Pay attention to what is happening right now, and see it for what it is. No situation is completely negative. Every moment has goodness in it. Take the time to look around and see what positive things are happening in your life right now. Focus on the positive things, and draw them closer to you.
2. Identify What You Can Change
When you’re going through tough times, it can seem like everything is out of control. It’s important to remember that the opposite is true. You always have control of yourself and how you respond to things around you. Take advantage of this control! A calm, measured response helps to move you in a positive direction. Always improve your outlook. Movement towards the positive is always good.
3. Start Small
When you’re working on staying positive when things look negative, it can be helpful to start small. Starting with small steps makes things more manageable. The more you achieve, the more you believe you can create change, and the more you can accomplish. You will build momentum and move yourself closer and closer towards that light at the end of the tunnel with increasing speed. Any step forward is good. If you’re starting out sobbing, moving to quiet tears is an improvement. You gain more and more control over yourself, and the next thing you know, you’ll be smiling!
4. Appreciate, Appreciate, Appreciate
Appreciation helps you focus on what you already have. When you’re in an unpleasant situation, the negative can seem overwhelming. In order to help you focus on the good things and find even more of them, look for one thing that is positive and focus on being appreciative for that one thing. Enjoy it. Let that spark of appreciation grow, lighting up everything else in your life that is going right. It’s not as bad as it seems when you focus on appreciating the good in your life.
5. Get Ready to Grow!
Times of trial are times of growth, something else you can add to your list of things to appreciate about your dark times. We always want to continue on our path of growth, and difficult times have the ability to help us grow in leaps and bounds. If you are going through a situation that you find difficult, you have called growth into your life, and it has been delivered to you in the form of whatever difficulty you’re facing. When you reach that light at the end of the tunnel, you will emerge as a new and better version of yourself. Always continue moving forward and embrace the change and growth you are about to experience.
6. If All Else Fails… Fake it ‘Till You Make it
Sometimes it’s hard to put your whole heart into finding hope during difficult times. It’s easy to feel too overwhelmed to do anything major. Dark tunnels can get really, really dark. If you’re new to living in a positive mindset or if you’ve been going through frequent trials, you might feel inauthentic while searching for hope. The good news is, you can fake this! It’s a longer process, but if you tell yourself there is goodness in this darkness and hope in a bleak situation over and over again, you will eventually find hope. If you put on a smiling face even when you don’t feel happy, you can actually trick your body into becoming happy–the act of smiling brings on happy hormones!
You Can Do It!
Let your thoughts lead your emotions instead of the other way around. You may be surrounded by darkness right now, but if you take the time to let your eyes adjust, you can always find that bit of light, that bit of hope, to cling to, to pull on, and to bring light into a situation that is less than ideal. You can think your way out of negativity and embrace the positive. All tunnels have an end!
Karen Kripalani is a mom, wife, writer, manifestation coach, and co-founder of Beauty Everywhere and Oceanhouse Media. She believes that by focusing on your positive desires, gratitude, and seeing the beauty in every situation, you will bring about the manifestation of your greatest dreams. She loves time with her family and friends, yoga, the ocean, and trying new things (latest adventure: pole dancing classes!). She resides in San Diego, CA with her husband and two beautiful children. You can find her on Facebook at @KarenKripalani or at www.BeautyEverywhere.com.