Sometimes everything seems to go wrong.
It is the combination of good and bad moments that gives life its true meaning. We always hope the good moments far outnumber the bad. But are there really 'bad moments' in life? What do we actually mean by a 'bad situation'?
Is it when we do not have enough money to function? When we cannot pay rent, school fees, or a debt? When there are problems in a relationship? When we suddenly lose a job? This list would be endlessly long if each person had the opportunity to add every difficult situation they have faced.
Two Choices
When a difficult situation presents itself, you have two fundamental choices.
The first is to let the situation defeat you — to remain sad or angry, to declare yourself powerless, to conclude that no change is possible. In this mode, you focus on everything that is wrong. You tell yourself you have no luck. You may even think that God has forgotten you or is ignoring your prayers.
The second is to make the deliberate effort to see with a positive lens. You take ownership of the principle that you must manage your problems — not the other way around. You ask yourself: what lesson can I draw from this difficulty? You remind yourself that what does not destroy you must make you stronger.
The Cardboard Wall
Your life belongs to you. Everything comes down to attitude — the way you respond to what happens to you. Most of the walls we face are not concrete. They are cardboard — they look imposing, they feel solid, but they collapse the moment you push through with determination and clarity.
This does not mean difficulties are imaginary. They are real. Financial pressure is real. Loss is real. Uncertainty is real. But the story you tell yourself about those difficulties — whether they define your ceiling or become your staircase — that is entirely within your control.
Two Principles to Carry Forward
First, it is important to approach moments of pleasure with discernment, because sometimes they can be poisoned gifts — comfort zones that prevent growth, or shortcuts that create long-term costs.
Second, it is equally important not to be defeated by difficult moments, because sometimes they are the staircases that lead us toward success. The entrepreneur who fails learns what the classroom cannot teach. The professional who faces rejection develops resilience that compounds over a career. The person who loses everything discovers what truly matters.
Have confidence in your purpose. Believe in your objectives. The walls are cardboard.
Originally published in French on napoleondieulin.blogspot.com (January 2023). Adapted and expanded for an international professional audience.