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(Photo courtesy of Luba Ertel)<\/em><\/p>\n We\u2019ve all been there \u2013 those days when it feels like the world is personally plotting against us. You spill coffee on your shirt right before a big meeting, the Wi-Fi goes out during a critical presentation, or maybe you scroll through social media only to see everyone else\u2019s life looking picture-perfect. Before you know it, you\u2019re sighing, \u201cWhy me?\u201d or \u201cWhy don\u2019t I have what they have?\u201d But let\u2019s take a moment to breathe, because life doesn\u2019t have to feel this heavy. In fact, when we learn to shift our perspective, those heavy thoughts start to lift \u2013 and with them, so do our spirits.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s start with a story about J.K. Rowling. Before she became one of the world\u2019s best-selling authors, she was a single mother living on welfare, feeling like life was a series of misfortunes. Her initial Harry Potter manuscript was rejected by twelve publishers. It would have been easy to think, \u201cWhy is nothing working out for me?\u201d But Rowling didn\u2019t quit. She kept going, focused on her passion, and eventually found success beyond what she\u2019d ever imagined. Sometimes, life is setting us up for something better; it just doesn\u2019t feel that way at the time. What we perceive as obstacles may actually be part of the journey that gets us where we\u2019re meant to go.<\/p>\n Comparison is often what turns little bumps into mountains. Take Amy Purdy, a professional snowboarder and motivational speaker who lost both her legs below the knee at 19. It would have been natural to focus on what she lost or what others had that she didn\u2019t. But instead, she made a decision to see her situation differently. Amy chose gratitude for what she could still do, and with that positive mindset, she became a Paralympic medalist and an inspiration to millions. Her story reminds us that when we stop comparing and start focusing on what\u2019s possible, we find strength we didn\u2019t know we had.<\/p>\n It\u2019s helpful to look at setbacks as part of the process rather than personal failures. Jim Carrey, one of the most famous comedians, went through his own period of struggle. Growing up in a family that experienced poverty, he had to work as a janitor while pursuing his dream of becoming an actor. He faced countless rejections and disappointments. But Carrey didn\u2019t let those struggles define him. Instead, he famously wrote himself a $10 million check as a reminder of his goals, and kept pushing forward. It\u2019s a reminder that when life feels like it\u2019s holding us back, it might actually be building our resilience for what\u2019s next.<\/p>\n One of the quickest ways to lift ourselves out of the \u201cwhy me?\u201d mindset is to practice gratitude. When we stop and acknowledge the good things we have \u2013 even if they\u2019re small, like a warm cup of tea, a friend\u2019s text, or a sunny day \u2013 we start shifting our focus from what\u2019s wrong to what\u2019s right. Take Oprah Winfrey, who openly talks about her habit of keeping a gratitude journal. Despite her incredible success, she finds value in grounding herself by jotting down daily moments of gratitude. Oprah\u2019s story shows that gratitude isn\u2019t just for \u201cperfect\u201d days; it\u2019s a tool to keep us centered and positive even when life gets tough.<\/p>\n Now, I\u2019m not suggesting we need to be relentlessly positive or ignore genuine struggles. Sometimes things genuinely are hard. But when we make small shifts in how we interpret our challenges, they become easier to handle. As author Wayne Dyer said, \u201cIf you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.\u201d When we approach life\u2019s difficulties as temporary, and often necessary, parts of growth, we start to see each challenge as a stepping stone rather than a stumbling block.<\/p>\n So, the next time you feel weighed down by the world, try reframing your thoughts. Remind yourself that every success story you\u2019ve ever heard involved setbacks, failures, and moments of doubt. Instead of comparing your path to someone else\u2019s highlight reel, focus on what makes your journey unique. Celebrate the little victories, let gratitude lift your spirits, and remember that this too shall pass.<\/p>\n We\u2019re all allowed those \u201cwhy me?\u201d moments \u2013 they\u2019re human. But by practicing gratitude, embracing setbacks as part of the process, and seeing the beauty in our own journey, we can shift the narrative. Life may sometimes feel heavy, but with a lighter mindset, we can lift ourselves back up and keep going. After all, life\u2019s most beautiful views often come after the hardest climbs.<\/p>\n \u00a0Bob Fagan has just published\u00a0“The Little Book of Questions That Matter — A Lifetime Companion For Transforming Your Life.”\u00a0It is available on Amazon.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"