Life is by no means an easy road. Curve balls are thrown at us left, right and center when we least expect them. However, this is the way our personalities and our outlook on life is shaped throughout the years.  How you deal with each curve ball directly impacts on how you interact with the outside world, your friends and family and others who surround you. It determines your future life path and those who want to ‘travel’ with you.

Marriage breakdowns, illnesses and other unfortunate events have the tendency to either ‘make you or break you’.  It is almost impossible to see the light at the end of the tunnel when you are in one of those situations.  You go through a gambit of emotions, including anger, frustration, sadness and defeat.  You do not see how your life can ever get better and nothing makes sense anymore.

What we often overlook is that those tough times are a perfect opportunity for personal reflection and growth, which we all need to evolve. We try to teach our kids to grow up to be good and kind people, but we often fail to practice what we preach. We let our emotions get the better of us, which negatively affects us personally and all those close to us.

When I was little, my grandmother taught me a very good life lesson.  She explained to me that if you take one little stick, you can break it very easily. However, if you take many sticks, tie them together and then try to break them, you will not succeed. The lesson learnt is to surround yourself with people who love and care for you and who are prepared to listen to you, stick up for you and help you. Together with you, they make up that bunch of sticks that cannot be broken.  When you try to fight your battles alone, you have failed before you even started.

Always remember that although winning a war consists of winning many battles, it is not about winning all of the battles, just the ones that matter.  You can lose some and still win the war.

Thus, take each day at a time. Rejoice in all the good that you do have today, regardless of how tough things are.  Your kids, your partner (in most cases), your family and your true friends (you will quickly work out who they are) are your pillars of strength.  Cherish them and enjoy their company. It is all about appreciating what good you do have in your life despite all the negatives.

Lastly, remember to always remain humane and respectful to others, even those causing you grief. As for the anger and frustration – join a boxing class, go for a run, a walk, or a swim or do some other form of exercise. Turn your negative energy into positive and reward yourself with a healthier body in the process.