Why is life so hard?
Or why does it so often seem as though, no matter what we do or how much we accomplish, bad things keep happening to us and to the people we love?
When life is hard, what do you tell yourself? Do any of these phrases sound familiar?
Everyone would be able to achieve success if there were no obstacles standing in their way.
But the reality is that there is always some type of barrier standing between you and the things you want in life.
These barriers may be very simple to step over, but many are more complex and test your willingness to persist. This is certainly not always easy, but there is always a way.
Obstacles can manifest themselves in three ways.
Read More32 Of The Best Strategies for Overcoming Obstacles In Life
If you're like most people, you enjoy being by yourself sometimes, but you also have times when you crave time with your friends and family.
You may dread being alone in certain situations, like going out to dinner or attending a party where you don't know anyone. You want to have a friend with you to make it more comfortable.
This is normal, as a lot of us like to have someone with us in situations we aren't familiar with or when we are doing something new.
But for some people, the discomfort of being alone is more than just an occasional feeling. It is a debilitating condition that impacts the quality of their lives.
Autophobia, also known as monophobia, is defined as the fear of being by oneself or feeling lonely.
Read More12 Of The Best Ways To Overcome Fear Of Being Alone
Even if you don't realize it, you have incredible strength and independence as a woman.
Although we still have a long way to go, women have more control today than ever before over their careers, bodies, finances, and lifestyles.
Women are capable of supporting themselves and their families and are breaking old stereotypes of traditional female roles.
Gender discrimination still exists, but 53% more independent women are participating in the workforce than fifty years ago, giving women a louder voice in society.
We've all experienced it: Standing in line at the grocery store, a young child begins to melt down until they are an emotional mess.
The parents of these children can be heard coaching them to calm down, take a few deep breaths, and express their feelings in words rather than having a tantrum.
This is a great method to teach children self-control when it comes to managing their emotions, but is it that easy for us as adults? Wouldn't it be great if we could control our emotions, even during the darkest of times?
Read MoreWhy Am I So Emotional? 10 Keys To Calming Yourself In The Storm
“The day you stop worrying will be the first day of your new life; anxiety takes you in circles, trust in yourself and become free.” — Leon Brown
My earliest memories of my life seem to have one commonality — I’m either experiencing acute anxiety or catastrophizing.
Once, on a holiday, I was left with my eldest sister to look after me. My mother promised me she would only be gone for half an hour. I sat in the kitchen and watched the clock ticking relentlessly.
At 40 minutes in, I was grief-stricken — my mother had obviously been in a terrible accident and had died. I was now missing the most important person in my life.
Of course, she returned over two hours later thanks to the traffic and could not understand why I had once again riled myself up into such a state of anxiety.
The fear of rejection is one of the most basic parts of being human.
We all need to feel that we are a part of something larger and valued for who we are.
Our need for belonging is so strong that we all feel intense pain when we are excluded.
In fact, we cannot survive without one another. The need for connection is one of the deepest human instincts.
Read MoreFear of Rejection? 8 Surprisingly Effective Remedies
When I was in elementary school, I played in a tetherball competition with the girls in my 5th-grade class.
After beating several other girls, I was paired with the most popular girl in the class. All of the kids were standing around us watching our match, and I was ahead for most of the game.
It was thrilling to be kicking the butt of the most popular girl, especially since I wasn't much of an athlete.
But as the match went on, all of our classmates started cheering for my opponent. Every time she scored, there was wild enthusiasm. When I scored, there was silence.