If you stop right now and think about current problems in your life, are they new issues or things that you've dealt with before?

I ask because something came up for me tonight that made me want to scream, cry, fill my head with negative thoughts and just freak out. It was an issue that in one form or another I've been dealing with for YEARS.

Luckily my "rebound rate" (see The Key to Happiness post) has improved greatly over the past couple years so I got ahold of myself and remembered a recent lesson I learned from my girl, Gabby Bernstein. She talked about how the Universe (God, life, whatever you want to call it) gives you lessons and until you truly dig in and learn from them, they will continually reappear throughout your life. Those lessons will come back in different forms but have the same underlying message until you fully process it.

I took this to mean that hitting rock bottom served as processing the issue. You know how people talk about how you have to hit rock bottom before you can rise up stronger than ever before? Well I use to think in certain areas of my life that I hit rock bottom. Each time I would think, “This is it. It sucks but it's awesome because I'm going to turn this around and be unstoppable.” This sounds great the first couple times you tell yourself it but let me tell you the 100th time gets a bit old.

Tonight's "bottom" made me think that maybe we all have different sensitivities to hitting bottom. I think some people can have the slightest bump and instantly make the decision to learn, grow and move on while others (like myself) need repeated exposure.

If you're like me and are not one of those quick adapters, think on the bright side, we are tough. We think that we can power through challenges and just be done with it. While good at times, we need to allow ourselves to stop and see what’s really going on. Why is this situation happening? What is it that needs to be hashed out to be able to move on?

Not sure where to start? Therapy, meditation, EFT Tapping, journaling, are a few places to explore. Find something that you can connect with and ultimately get you to the root cause behind these reoccurring scenarios. After all who wants to be dealing with the same problems for the rest of their life? I for sure don't so on that note, its time for a little soul searching and personal development.

*I'd love to know...are you someone who adapts quickly to problems you are faced with or do you have the same reoccurring issues trouble you?

**Curious about meditation? Check out my glimpse into meditation group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/439110243100699/

Ever look at your favorite leader or mentor and think they must be happy all the time?

I do. I think it's so easy to look at someone who is high up, in a respected position and think their lives must be perfect. It wasn't until this morning that I heard something that made me think otherwise. I was listening to one of my favs, Gabby Bernstein, and she was talking about how everyone has bad things happen but your happiness is tied to your comeback rate. For example, let’s say you over sleep and are late for an important meeting or you are cut-off in traffic. How fast can you process it and turn it around by consciously choosing happiness over negativity?

For those of you who read my, 1-2-3 Maui...Get Present, post I like to think of it along the same lines. How fast can you tune in (“1-2-3 Maui”), realize you are unhappy, then decide to see your situation differently.

Happy or enlightened people are simply more tuned in to the present. They stop themselves when they start to veer off course and they redirect by choosing again. They choose to be happy because they know happiness is a choice. They realize that they have the power to see their situation differently.

Before you think: “well lucky for them”, please realize we ALL are lucky! We all have the same power to choose again every second of every day.

Instead of overreacting to simple problems like finding you're out of coffee (panic attack, I know) just STOP. Breathe. Choose again. Simply think how can I see this differently? How can I choose happiness over negativity? Maybe you've been eyeing a new coffee shop that you've never gone to and this is your sign to splurge and try it out. Maybe there's someone that you are meant to meet at that coffee shop. Who knows?! Whatever the situation may be, know that the power to be happy lies within you.

How freeing is that?!

Anyone do this already? If not, try it out. How did it go for you?