The Question You Should Never Ask Yourself!

Around a year and a half before I started blogging, I was in a dark place mentally and emotionally, and I felt stuck and hopeless about my future.

I was working in my family business, and my relationship with my family were strained and at its lowest point. I also found it difficult to gather the motivation to do the things I used to enjoy, and I felt I was drifting by life aimlessly.

During this period, something I’d often wonder was, why me? Why do I have to go through this?

Asking myself these questions was of little help, and it arose from my belief that the emotional struggles I was facing were somehow unique or insurmountable.

But the fact is everybody goes through tough times. We may not be aware of it because it’s human nature to act as if everything is okay even when it isn’t.

Realising that everyone goes through difficult times at some point or the other can make you feel less alone, and stop you from pitying yourself and blowing things out of perspective.

Asking ourselves the question “why me” during tough times is useless and can only set us on a path of self-pity. Instead, what I’d invite you to do during such situations is to radically change your perspective and discover how this could be a blessing.

When I look back now on that period of my life when I was miserable, I can see many good things came out of it.

Going through this period forced me to learn to deal with my emotions more effectively, an important skill that has radically improved the quality of my life.

I also emerged as a more understanding and empathetic person as a result, and that has helped me connect with people better.

If it wasn’t for the frustrating situation I was in at the time, I probably wouldn’t have made the leap to take a three-month solo trip which has been one of the best decisions I have made in my life.

If everything were going comfortably in my life, I wouldn’t have decided to travel for so long, and I would have robbed myself of the tremendous growth that has come as a result.

As uncomfortable and emotionally challenging that period of my life was, it is something that I’m now grateful for because it has truly changed me for the better.

Therefore, during times of emotional hardships, have faith that you will come out the other side stronger even when it seems unlikely that anything good could come out of it.

As Steve Jobs once famously remarked, “You can’t connect the dots looking forward. You can only connect them looking backwards. Trust that the dots will connect somehow.“

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