The 1 thought I use to get through my toughest times

We all get in tough spots emotionally every once in a while. As I’m writing this, I’m at the airport waiting for a plane to take me back home after what was supposed to have been a stress-free get away weekend to where my parents live in Malaga in southern Spain.

What it turned out to be however, was one of those weekends that you’d rather forget. One of those weekends where you can’t wait to get back home and put it behind you.

I got in a huge fight with my mom — and not for the first time — and it completely tainted what could otherwise have been a nice weekend get away.

We managed to patch things up and have a good time in spite of everything in the end.

Even still — as I’m writing this, I have a huge knot in my stomach — one of those stress-induced balls of unpleasantness that seem to linger long after the thing that was unpleasant has stopped happening.

Looking back, I much would have preferred that none of this happened, but now that it did I want to take the time to reflect on it, because unpleasant things happen to all of us. We all experience things we rather wouldn’t have from time to time.

This made me think about some of the unpleasant things that I’ve lived through in my life, and where I’ve made it out on the other side ok.

It made me think of the one time when I was fat, un-loveable and miserable but managed to turn things around. It made me think of the time, when my dad never showed up for my birthday and I thought it was the end of the world.

It made me think of the time when I got kicked out of school for getting in a fight with another kid. It made me think of the time when I didn’t get accepted to law school and thought that was the end of my life.

It made me think of the time I was falsely accused of sexually assaulting someone. It made me think of the time when someone at my job hated my guts, because she was scared of what I represented.

And it made me think, that I made it through all of that.

None of it lasted forever.

It made me realize that no matter how bad the thing that we are experiencing is, we will make it through to the other side.

Everything will be okay. We will be okay.

If we learn how to tackle things in the right way, learn from our mistakes and make something good of the situation then we won’t just be okay. We will be better.

Because something that this weekend also made me realize is that I am now stronger, fitter and leaner than ever. I have an amazing relationship with a person I massively respect and admire.

I have a large circle of friends that I love and who love me back, I’ve never been happier, had a better job or felt more accomplished in my life.

Because of this, I can confidently say that no matter what you’re going through at the moment — or have gone through in the past — things are going to be okay.

You are going to be okay.

All you have to do is soldier on.

No matter how bleak things look, and no matter how lost you feel, just keep walking.

Things will get better.

You will get better.

You will be okay.

In fact you will be more than okay.