Happiness is a beautiful thing, but I guess you already found out, that everything worth having comes with some level of struggle and sacrifice. I bet you know those days when even a simple step can take up all your energy. Days where challenges predominate and moments when you feel your life is testing you on how much you can endure and face. How can you handle it and manage to win?

In the past, I thought that life was a win or lose game, depending on how lucky you are.  Since I came from a very humble environment where riches are only in movies, I partly believed that I am destined to lose.

As I was growing up, I couldn’t stand the fact that there are only chosen ones. And they weren’t. Life is a mind game and the best time you can test your strength and belief is when things hit the fan, and you have only two choices. You either give in or learn from those life lessons and move on.

Since many of us often wonder how to handle hardships and challenges better, I have listed 4 ways which can help you to stay still and have faith when all the odds are against you:

1. Change your perspective

I recently read a very short, but concise post which says that most of the pain we experience in life is created by our thoughts and what we think. How true is that? The size of your problems and difficulties is often determined by how you actually see them. Sometimes things aren’t that bad, but because of your interpretation and thoughts, you make it twice as serious.

Next time, before you diagnose your life as worst and hardest ever, check your thinking and make sure that it isn’t your mind tricking you. I am not trying to minimize your problems because some situations are truly challenging and we can’t overcome them with a blink of an eye, but sometimes panic and stress get us, and we tend to exaggerate.

2. Surround yourself with tons of love

Whether it is your loving family, your closest friends or your pet, go where love is. It may sound corny to many people since we hear it often, but love is the best and fastest healing power.

Think about it. When you get weak, and you stress out because of some tough times, you need some safe and positive place to recharge. When you surround yourself with people or other attributes of love which fulfills you, it will be easier for you to get up and clear the fog which caused you to lose sight of hope and belief.

“You are who you surround yourself with. I know that’s such a cliche quote, but it’s true.” – Selena Gomez

3. Make a decision and pass the test

At some point in life, you will face a situation where you must decide, right on the spot, how you are going to handle it. We call them challenges because they are supposed to challenge us, right? How would you know how far you can go if you never pass the test if you never fight? Life is about taking punches and giving punches in the form of overcoming difficulties with a winning attitude.

The next time, when you are faced with such a challenge, ask yourself one question: “What is this going to teach me and how can I use it to make my life better?” Keep in my mind that there are given situations which will test you and make you better. There is something in life you need to learn in order to grow. Nothing just happens. Take it as a benefit and keep going.

4. Your mind is your friend

No person or circumstances can destroy you as much as your mind if you don’t train it well. Any time or energy you put into building a healthy mindset will always come back with even bigger power to help you when you are falling. I bet you know from personal experience that your mind can either drive you crazy or make you the happiest person on Earth.

Since this article is about challenges, knowing what empowers you is key. The challenge is a feeling so find things that make you feel good, things that give you a better perspective on life. In my case, such thing is a good book. Books on personal development from Tony Robbins, Bob Proctor, Napoleon Hill, you name them. Any of these guys can always lift up my spirit and not just inspire me, but also give me practical tips on how to improve the situation I am in.

“You are confined only by the walls you build yourself.” – Andrew Murphy

Look, one bad day or a week or a month doesn’t mean your life is over. For you to learn, you need to be tested from time to time. Your mind, your spirit and overall attitude will decide what quality of life you are going to build. So, if life is trying to bully you, stand your ground and show who the boss is.

What ways do you build up your belief system? Leave your thoughts below!