4 Outstanding Outcomes From Life’s Hard Times

No one enjoys going through hard times – they are anxiety-producing; they are outright depressing; and they can literally “stall” us.

It’s so easy to say, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade!” Tell that to the person who has lost a job and can’t find another; tell that to the person who has lost a loved one; tell that to the person whose home has just been foreclosed. Making lemonade out of these situations is not easy, and there’s no magic formula that “works” for everyone.

There are, however, certain things that all of us can do during these times that put us on a path of “correction” and point us in the directions of getting better.

1. Hard times can be great motivators if we allow them to be.

I have a very close friend  and my senior who graduated with a M .Tech.. in structural engineering. He was immediately picked up by a large local commercial construction company, and was making lots of money. Then the crash of 2013 hit, his company folded, and he couldn’t find a job anywhere.

He was over for dinner one night, and in a really honest conversation, he admitted that he really had hated structural engineering, even when he was really making good money. He really wanted to be his own boss and liked the idea of real estate, but the market was so bad, it was not even a possibility. As we threw around the possibilities, the flash came. He didn’t have to sell real estate. He could buy it.

He cashed in his 401K, paid the taxes and penalty, and had enough left to buy up 3 foreclosed homes. With a little renovation, he rented all three. From there, he got investors to buy in with him, and today he owns 110 residential properties and has a staff of 6.

2. Hard times can force you to accept help and support that you never thought you would need.

I’d been a loner most of my life. I worked hard, came home, worked some more and went to bed. Weekends were spent with house and yard care. I think all of this came from the old work ethic of my parents and grandparents. I never saw them entertain or laugh a lot.

began a transition that led me to a new understanding – life is so much more than work. Out of that low place emerged a new social and rounded me. My life has a balance it never had before.

3. Hard times can make you look at and appreciate what you do have.

When things are going well, we take so much for granted. During the hard times, however, we can look at our many blessings – health, family, friends, etc. and get a new perspective. When the good times return, we have a new appreciation for our blessings.

4. Hard times can force us to call upon inner strength that we had forgotten we had.

Cancer is a horrible disease, and when a good friend was diagnosed, she spent days vacillating among fear, anger, desperation, and sadness. Ultimately, she got to acceptance, and that moved her to face her treatment plan with a single focus of victory. She beat that disease and now says she can face anything.
Interestingly, when most of us look back upon those “hard times,” we see that, if not for them, we would not be in the better place we are today. So while you may not welcome those low points, see them for what they are – a path for improvement.