T = TOUGH

When I speak of the word tough, I don’t mean that you have to go to the gym every night. I am talking about a certain mindset that you need when things get rough. If you get a rejection letter from a publisher or an agent, let’s take that hit on the chin and keep on going. We need to be tough during certain experiences in life and though it is not necessary to be tough while handling every situation, it is a great quality to have in reserve when the occasion calls for it. I know that I have to toughen up a bit myself, as peoples words still have too much of an impact on me sometimes. 

S = SURVIVAL

When I think about survival, I never think of myself on some deserted island having to fend for myself. I think of how I am supposed to survive in this ever changing world and understand how I am supposed to live alongside unpredictable people. I have learnt that surviving meant being careful with regards to how you approach people. Here where I live children are no longer just playing and seen as the innocent. No, children can be criminals too and have evil tendencies, torturing and mistreating animals simply for the fun of it. If you can do that with a smile, what else are you capable of? Sometimes your nice neighbour is not so nice and you need to stand up for yourself, which means you have to be a bit more assertive if you wish to survive in the long run.

It might sound terrible, but surviving has taken on a whole different meaning for me. It is more about how I live and not being able to be too friendly with stranger any more.  Survival I think can mean something different to everyone, but to me, it means taking care of my safety and that of my loved ones. 

R = REGRETS

I think that regret is one of the most awful emotions ever. It makes you feel bad about yourself, even though there is nothing that you can do about certain situations. Regret is also one of the emotions that I feel most often. I am one of those people who hang onto bad memories and experiences for far too long, when in truth, I am supposed to simply let them go. I worry about the regrets that I will never have a chance to fix and in truth, I will probably never be able to do anything about most of them, which is why I believe that regrets should simply be left in the past. If there is nothing you can do to make up for regretting to do something, then simply let it go, leave it behind. I know I have lost too much sleep already, worrying about things that I have no control over. 

Q = QUESTION

I have been raised to be a very understanding person and asking too many questions was thought of as a bad thing. Well, unfortunately, I am a very curious person, to a point actually, but I question things. I never accept simply what I am told. If someone tells me that something has to be done a certain way and it makes no sense to me at all, I will ask why it is like that. I think many of us have been led to believe that it is impolite and disrespectful to ask questions. But question things when you want and need to. Do not just accept something to be a certain way when you know it is wrong. Be inquisitive; ask questions, even of life. But never simply just accept things. It is just a waste of life.

P = PERSONALITY

We all have a personality, even those of us that are thought of as being very boring. Our personalities are unique and our own. Granted, not all personalities match well with others, as I am a tough person, I am told, to get along with, probably because I like honesty and for things to be logical and to the point.

We all have unique personalities and we all see things in a different way and should thus be more tolerant of each other and our opinions. I always try my best to get along with people, but let’s face it, some people are just a lot harder to get along with. But never allow anyone to try and change you or your personality to suit them. You are who you are and you should be proud of yourself for that. Staying true to myself is the most important thing for me. 

O = OBSTACLES

We all have had and will always have obstacles in or lives. I wish that at some point they all just go away, but no, they are there and very real. Though, we can choose how we overcome them. There have been times when I just gave up and let life take its course and then there were other times where I had to fight really hard for what I wanted. None of us can avoid it, but obstacles will always be there, waiting to be overcome. We cannot let it get us down, we have to keep moving and just doing the best that we can do. 

N = NOW

How many times have we allowed one bad experience to influence how we live our lives from that point forward? I know I do it all the time. Many times we use our past as a way for us to not live in the future and I am guilty of that as well. But what I have found to work best for me, is to live in the now. Take it one day at a time, meaning not to worry about a deadline for tomorrow at the present moment, when there is nothing more you can do about it than you have already done. Leave yesterday where it is and forget about what you need to do tomorrow. Rather focus on the now and the few things you can do and change at the present.