We all face challenges in our life. We may have been affected by a natural disaster, lost a job or home due to the economic climate, experienced a health crisis, lost a loved one, or ended a relationship.

When life gets tough, I try to remember and live by these 3 inspirational quotes.

1. I'm Only Given What I Can Handle

"I know God will not give me anything I can't handle. I just wish He didn't trust me so much."- Mother Teresa

This belief helps keep me grounded and relatively calm when it feels like everything is falling apart. It changes the focus to something more constructive - that somehow this challenge will help me grow and will serve my life (and whomever I touch) in the long run. Otherwise it would be easy to fall into a victim mode of thinking, being and acting.

I adopted this belief in my teens and only recently read Mother Teresa's quote. While the last bit strikes me as humorous, I wonder what she was feeling when she said it.

2. Looking for the Gift

"In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity."- Albert Einstein

When faced with a challenging situation, I try to remember to ask - what is great about this? (ie. use whatever words you want. Where is the good in this? What is the gem or learning? etc.)

This shifts my focus from looking at all the possible negative consequences that may or may not happen to looking at the gift in the situation. It empowers me to stay calm and look for solutions.

3. Will You Be a Victim or a Victor?

"In my darkest hours I had a choice to make. I could be a victim or a victor."- Wynonna Judd on the Oprah show

No matter what happens in our life, we get to choose how we respond. We get to choose our attitude. We can choose to feel sorry for ourselves and be a victim or we can choose to rise above.

Years ago I needed to have a dental procedure and I was feeling really stressed. Then it hit me - the procedure was going to happen regardless of how I felt. I could choose to feel anxious and mad that I even needed the procedure or I could choose to relax. I choose the latter and it made a huge difference.

No matter what challenge you are facing, you don't need to figure it out alone. Find someone you can talk to for both emotional and strategic support. As a species we are very resourceful and can find a way. You can too.

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