Yes, being born with a congenital heart defect, having two open heart surgeries, a heart transplant, and six occurrences of transplant-related cancer can be frustrating, terrifying, and overwhelming sometimes. My life has shown me that we get to choose how to respond to every situation, even the challenging ones. We can choose to be bitter, or we can choose to do everything in our power to think and act in a way that will help us feel better, help us persevere, and rise up to our challenges!
Every time that I feel this way—stuck, scared, and frustrated—the first thing I do is let myself feel those emotions. THEN I start to deal!
Many times for me dealing involves creating a plan, and my plans always have multiple plan options for different potential outcomes. I have learned that things happen and we all experience change: some positive, some negative. I know that taking back my sense of control even in situations that feel out of my control helps me to hope, cope, and deal. I want you to know that even when there are many things that you cannot change, there are still things that you can do to find even a tiny yes when it feels like all you are hearing is NO.
Here are 6 things you can do when it feels like the cards are stacked against you!
- You can begin to shift your mindset
- You can speak your truth to others
- You can reach out to a friend or family member for support
- You can listen to your intuition and follow it through
- You can read positive quotes, messages, or books for inspiration
- You can turn music up and allow your emotions to flow through you as you dance!