There’s an English expression that particularly inspires me: “Fight or flight.” There are moments in life when this phrase definitely applies. I’ve experienced them time and again, and with the help of those around me, I’ve often come out stronger. My choice when faced with this dilemma: FIGHT!!!
There are situations where fighting only makes things worse. You have to know how to pick your battles. The best boxers and champions in all kinds of combat sports would agree that you have to know how to defend yourself without revealing your game plan to your opponent.
But there are situations where the path to victory is clear; you have to throw down the gloves and risk ending up in the penalty box. Certain situations—especially if what’s at stake is truly close to our hearts—deserve a well-thought-out and solid game plan, and sometimes the help of our team.
There is, of course, a time for everything; we need to give ourselves time to grieve and work through our pain. There are some things that take time to accept, but I’ve also noticed that the more we dwell on our pain, the longer it takes to move past it. It becomes normal to feed our grief every day, to tell ourselves that the gray cloud won’t go away, and to remain on guard as soon as something negative enters our lives.
I like to think that even though I don’t like confronting people face-to-face, I’m not afraid to tackle problems head-on. I’m lucky to have wonderful people close to me who offer good advice and are good listeners. Our conversations—whether with one person or several—always help me see things more clearly. Knowing that those around us have been through similar situations and can offer advice is often a great source of relief, and sometimes these people even help us put the event that’s dragging us down behind us.
While talking with a good friend recently, we concluded that the important thing is to take care of ourselves so we can help those we love, to enjoy every moment, and above all, to make no room for toxic people in our lives. Because life is what it is, and many obstacles will be placed in our path, we mustn’t stay down once we’ve fallen. The longer you stay down, the longer it will take you to get back up; you have to fight and climb out of the hole. Even if the pain seems insurmountable, you have to remember that it isn’t, that every problem has a solution, and that every time, you have to fight, keep your head up, and move forward.
“You never know how strong you are until being strong is all you have left.” Although strength has its limits, it is essential for survival. At the end of each day, I close my eyes and tell myself that I’ve stacked the odds in my favor by tackling problems as soon as they arise… or as soon as I’ve finished crying in discouragement for a few hours!!