Bad things are going to happen in life, we all know that.  They vary in magnitude, but they are inevitable.  The long term impact they have on our lives however, is at least somewhat within our control.

There are people who can face major adversity and seem unfazed, and there are those who collapse if their toast is too dark.  As I have talked about in other posts, I believe the key difference between these two extremes is, for the most part, attitude.  It’s how we choose to react.

When things go wrong – major or minor – how we choose to respond internally will greatly influence how well we cope with it, and I believe, how quickly we overcome the problem and are able to move on.

Here are a few suggestions I have for “adjusting” your attitude when bad things happen:

1.) Count your blessings – focusing on the good things in your life will do wonders for putting things in perspective and helping you be positive about a situation.  We all have things to be thankful for, no matter what we may be going through.  Take some time and think about the things in your life that are going right, and it will lessen the impact of the things that aren’t.

2.) Help others – Being kind and helping others with their problems gets your mind off the tough times you may be going through.  Reach out to your community and find a need, then pitch in.  It often takes little effort to be kind, and it makes a huge difference, in your life and in the life of someone else.

3.) Rethink the magnitude – There are times when you simply need to sit down and realize, this problem really isn’t as big or bad as it looks.  Taking the time to look at the situation and the potential outcome will often help you see that the issue at hand is not nearly as insurmountable as you thought.

4.) Talk about it - Go to someone you trust and talk about the problem.  Sharing a burden with someone who cares about you often lessens the load.  If you feel like you don’t have anyone to turn to, you can always contact me, I am willing to listen.

5.) Change the scenery - Changing the view can help change your perspective.  Get up and go somewhere beautiful.  If you can’t get there on your own, call someone to take you.  If it isn’t possible to leave where you are, then use your imagination and think about a place of peace and beauty.  Even this little mental vacation can make a world of difference.

This is by no means an exhaustive list, it’s just a start.  Now I want to hear form you.  Leave a comment and tell me how you maintain a positive attitude when things go wrong.  You never know who you may help by taking the time to share your thoughts…