Bad Times Happen

Yes, things have been pretty quiet around here lately. There’s a reason (or series of reasons) for that. And it’s prompted me to write a post about something that not many people talk about in the business world – especially not the online business world.

The Bad Times.

Most business coaches/mentors/gurus/leaders that you have contact with on a regular basis will never mention that bad times exist, whether in your personal or business lives…it doesn’t make for good reading. Many of them are selling “the dream” and I guess they figure you won’t buy into their program, teachings or training if they tell you about the bad stuff as well as the good stuff. The general gist is that things are great for you now but when you do XYZ (i.e. buy into their training) things will be amazing.

You know what? Even when you have a successful business there are going to be bad times. Those may be prompted by a personal tragedy, a business problem, or simply a feeling of doom (sometimes we just succumb to depression, negative feelings or the doldrums).

Shit happens…to everyone. There’s no magic solution to avoid the bad times in life so instead I want to urge you to consider how you’ll handle them instead.

There are many ways you can deal with problems and no single way will work for everyone. Some people swear by exercise to lift their spirits, others seek out family and friends. Of course, those may work for you in cases where you’re just feeling a bit down but they’re not the answer for major business problems or serious depression.

If you’re facing the bad times then the best thing you can do is seek help. If your business is facing problems, seek expert business help. If you’re facing depression then seek professional help via your doctor or a mental health expert.

The one thing you shouldn’t do is believe you are alone and that there’s something wrong with you because you feel rubbish when everyone else appears to be able to overcome those feelings.

You know all those super happy people on social media who express how wonderful their lives are, how wonderful their businesses are, how great the world is? Guess what? They don’t feel like that all the time. Some of them are lying as they say those things. Others are honest at the time but they fail to mention the times when things are tough and they are facing the bad times.

In my experience, some of the happiest people in this world also experience the worst depressions. They’re either extremely “up” or extremely “down”.

Now, that’s not everyone…but the next time you want to slap someone because they’re screaming from the rooftops about how wonderful life is, remember they may be putting on a front or they may be heading for some bad times themselves.

Before you start panicking that I’m dealing with depression, thankfully things are not that bad for me. I’ve dealt with much worse in the past and even then I’m thankful that those times were short and, with help, I was able to come out the other side relatively quickly. But a combination of sad times in my family life that knocked me mentally, and then illness both before and after Christmas that laid me low physically, mean I haven’t been particularly happy lately.

And that’s OK. It’s life. Bad times happen. I’m not alone and neither are you.

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