Bringing out the best

Troubling times are always around the corner. In other words (terms), life is full of ups and downs. Good times pass like the breeze. It’s only during the bad times that time tends to stop and the going gets tough. During tough times, everything takes a beating. The body, the mind, and our relationships with people tend to suffer. There is always the need for that extra bit of strength during troubled times.

A lot of people look outwards for strength. People look for strength in other people, prayers, books etc and more often than not muster up enough strength. Therefore each individual, based on what works for him or her tend to develop their own ways to find strength and survive the struggle.

Looking outward for strength works most times. But during times of prolonged struggle, a loss of hope and when there is a loss of self doubt I've realised that looking inwards helps much better. The above situations invariably dent one's confidence. A loss of confidence leads to self doubt which in turn leads back to a loss of confidence. It is a vicious cycle. Talking to others helps, but only to an extent because, deep within, one is usually not sure if he or she really has it in them.

Therefore I feel that the key to build confidence and dispel all the uncertainity is to look within. The easiest method is to do the thing that one is good at. It may be as simple as cooking your favorite dish or singing your best song or playing your favorite sport. These are just examples. What is most important is to pick an activity which you excel at and do it till you feel good about yourself. This usually brings back both the good and the bad memories.

It is easy to ask, “If I get back bad memories, how will it help me? Won't it make things worse?“. The answer is simple. While pursuing the activity that one is are good at, it is almost certain that there would have been tough times and the individual would have previously overcome them. If not, the chances of him excelling in that chosen activity is rare. When these memories become available, they become the source of strength for the mind. We regain our lost confidence. Positive energy begins to flow. The focus is back. The perspective is back.

The simple truth  - good times come to an end! The bad times will pass too. Life will

repeat itself.