"Adversities in life are unavoidable", a Chinese idiom says.  No matter how hard we try, life is likely to present various tides of troubled water as we go through it.  While ups and downs in life are common to all of us, different people react differently to such volatility – some may grumble, deny, blame for the situation and surrender themselves, while some others would persevere with their courage to confront their failures and setbacks.  Why do people behave differently in times of adversity?  What makes one brave and stay calm in the face of challenge?  In essence, an optimistic personality and a positive mindset are the key factors.

Though it may be difficult, we shall try to immunise our mood and emotion from being distorted by difficult circumstances.  A discouraging incident or tragic plight may not be reversible; but we could always choose to embrace the situation proactively.  A positive mindset can normally empower oneself to go through ups and downs with strength, courage and confidence and lead to a promising future.

Let's take the Wenchuan earthquake in 2008 as an example.  This catastrophe has buried countless lives and destroyed numerous homes, leaving restless souls and fragile spirits amongst the surviving victims.  Song Xingyi, a three-year-old girl who lost one of her limbs and her parents in this disaster, however, was not despondent about her traumatic experience.  Instead, she was resilient to the tragedy and remained buoyant even confronted with tremendous challenges in life.  The positive thinking of this little girl touched the heart of many others, who were still suffering, to treasure their lives and to live bravely.

A positive attitude towards life can be nurtured from our heart-felt appreciation of the laudable surroundings as well as the beauty and kindness presented to our lives.  Apart from nourishing such inspirations, we should also train ourselves to view things from different perspectives so as to see both the positive and negative sides of an incident or experience and uncover the genuine message behind.  This self-learning process shall be conducive in enhancing our resilience to unexpected adversities and alleviating negative emotions.

Besides, religious beliefs could also give people hope and enable them to march forward with confidence in the face of adversity, believing that they can rely on the spiritual truth and support to forget about the past and charge ahead towards their ultimate goal in life.

Making friends with those energised with positive attitude is also essential as one affects the other.  Unfailing support from friends can often light up darkness and guide us out from the trough – and is indeed a blessing in life.

Wish you all a brilliant and wonderful life fueled with perseverance and optimism!

Dr Tiffany Li
Clinical Psychologist