When Life Feels Hard, This Will Get You Out Of Your Funk Fast

by Marci Shimoff

Have you ever found yourself going down a mental rabbit hole about some negative circumstance in your life?

It could be the heartbreak that blindsided you.

The diagnosis that has left you rattling.

The broken roof that cost thousands to repair.

Your son dropping out of school.

The miscarriage after years of trying.

The partner who who won’t quit an addiction.

You tell yourself that if this ONE thing wasn’t happening, you wouldn’t be in so much pain or distress.

You think you would be so much happier if this one thing wasn’t a part of your life.

Whatever IT is, you’re convinced it’s bad. Very bad. You don’t want it to be happening. You weren’t prepared for this. You don’t know how to deal.

Point Blank, You Are Not Happy—And You Don’t Know How To Feel Better

Life seems bleak from this point forward. You can’t see past this one thing that you desperately wish would just go away.

In fact, this one crisis, tragedy, or even just disappointing event seems to have hit you like a runaway train, leaving debris and consequences in its wake.

It’s not fair. It doesn’t make sense. Please, can you just go back in time and make it go away?

You open your eyes in the morning, and after a few seconds the reality of the situation comes flooding back into your awareness, making each step you take heavy with regret, pain, or just plain sadness.

You might be spending a lot of time and energy trying to think of ways to make the problem or the pain go away. You find it hard to concentrate on anything else or to make conversation about anything else.

I’ve been there. The hundreds of thousands of people at my lectures have been there. And yet, despite whatever the particular circumstances may be, there is ONE question that can jolt each and every one of us out of the brink of despair:

If This Were Happening For A Higher Purpose, What Would It Be?

If you feel tempted to click away from this article right now, stay with me.

You may be thinking: “Who does this woman think she is? Something really awful has happened to me, and she wants to wave it away with this one question?”

I am a woman who was basically born depressed and who has spent her entire adult life studying what it takes to be happy.

I’ve interviewed countless experts, researchers, and some of the happiest people on Earth—happy for seemingly no reason at all.

Do these people lead lives unmarked by tragedy and disappointment? Not one bit.

Some of them have dealt with heartbreaking loss.

Others have been hit by unexpected financial setbacks.

Still others have a severe handicap.

Would you think that a person who lost their eyesight could possibly be happy ever again?

And not just a little bit happy, or “accepting” of the situation.

I’m talking all-out, shout-it-from-the-rooftops happy.

This is exactly what happened for a woman I interviewed. Not only did she become even happier than before she went blind, but she went on to help other people in a big way.

What seemed like the biggest tragedy of her life turned into her greatest joy and contribution to the happiness of other people.

She’s one of the incredible people I’ve had the privilege of meeting on my own journey to happiness.

These people have learned to be happy regardless of what has happened to them or what is going on around them.

And regardless of the color of their skin, what language they speak, or how much money they make, they live their lives by the certainty of this:

They believe there is a higher purpose in everything—yes, even the struggle and the pain.

Their Motto Is Simple: “Rejection Is God’s Protection”

When I talk about God, I mean whatever “higher power” is to you.

It means you understand that there is something beyond us that is much more intelligent than we could ever be.

If you need proof, ask yourself if you have to remember to breathe. Of course you don’t. Breathing happens without any input from you, and it sustains your whole being.

Yet somehow we believe that we need to be in control of how the rest of life goes. We think we need to micromanage every second. We think we know better than the infinite intelligence that sustains life. We think we need to be the general manager of the universe.

And if we believe we need to be in control of everything that happens, then certainly we will be anxious and feel pain when things don’t go our way.

But if we believe that there is a higher power at work for our good—24 hours a day—then the fact that we don’t have control is a VERY good thing. There’s something else far smarter calling the shots.

Happy people believe that this is a benevolent universe that wants our greatest good. In fact, Einstein said the most important question we can ask ourselves is, Is this a friendly universe? Happy people answer yes.

When you live your life based on this principle, you can relax. You can have faith that even the seemingly devastating setbacks are operating for your good.

You can trust that there is a lesson in everything, and that the universe is truly on your side.

Learn The Secrets Of Happiness From The Happiest

Many of us are mistaken about what it really takes to be happy. I used to be one of them, and it led me down an unhappy road. It’s also why I ended up dedicating my entire life to discovering how to experience true happiness.

Years ago, I could manage to be happy for a little while, but then something would happen that would knock me down. I wanted to find out how to be happy NO MATTER WHAT.

And when I found out, I wanted to teach as many people as I possibly could—because GIVING in a way you love is yet another way to be happy!

In my program 30 Days to a Happier Life, I’ll teach you everything I’ve learned about being happy—and staying happy.

What I love about the program is that it’s not just informational—it’s truly transformational.

Every day of the program, you’ll get a video where I’ll give you an insight, tip, technique, visualization, or meditation you can put to work right away—so you can FEEL yourself become happier, every day.

Throughout my decades of research, I’ve found that many programs or methods teach only one or two ways to be happier, but in my program, you’ll see why the holistic approach is best—creating happiness in mind, body, heart, and spirit.

For now, remember that whenever you feel your thoughts turning dark about any particular issue, ask yourself: If this were happening for a higher purpose, what would it be?

With love and happiness,

P.S. If the thought of a “higher power” feels too spiritual or abstract to you, consider this:

Out of all the people I’ve interviewed, those that were the happiest all shared one criterion: they were plugged into spirit.