How to Embrace Bad News Like A Champ

Bad news doesn’t have to be so bad. Like many things in life, our attitude about the situation is what defines how we handle the situation and who we become. For me, I’ve learned a long time ago that bad news and occurrences are a part of life. They are unavoidable. You can get upset by this, angry about it, or embrace it. I’ve chose to do the latter of the three options. When I find myself in an unfavorable circumstance or having something not go my way, I take it on with a smile.

Everything happens for a reason.

I truly believe this. Once you understand that everything does in fact happen for a reason and that the universe does have a plan for you, you won’t get upset by setbacks in your life. Unfortunately, we face a lot of hardships in this world that make many people lose their faith. I believe that even our hardships happen for a good reason, whether or not they make sense in the present moment. There are 2 reasons that the difficulties we face in life can be a good thing:

1. It Makes Us Stronger

It is pretty much a fact that hardships make us stronger. If you did not face struggle and adversity, you would not grow as a person. Tough times allow us to grow into strong individuals that can take on the world.

“Tough times don’t last, but tough people do”

2. It Unknowingly Benefits Us

Sometimes, something may seem like it’s worst case scenario; but in reality, it is a blessing in disguise. This may be difficult to understand at first, but I often think back to a story my father told me as a child:

A bird was living in his perfect home in a tree. He had worked hard and conducted his ideal nest in a great location. One night, a terrible storm arose that destroyed the bird’s home. Luckily for the bird, it was able to make it through the storm physically unharmed, but the damage to his home was done.

The bird was understandably very upset. The bird asked, “God why did you destroy my home? How can you do something so terrible and evil?” God responded to the bird, that what the bird did not know, was that there was a snake crawling up the tree. The snake was getting closer and closer, and surely would have eaten the bird if the storm did not come. The bird would have died.

According to my Dad, the story goes on with the snake asking God why he let the bird get away, and so on and so forth. Each time, God has a good reason for what God does, although the reason is not painfully obvious, as it was not for the bird.

Whether you believe in God or not is irrelevant, the idea of the story is that everything happens for a reason. The universe works in mysterious ways, BUT IT WORKS!

Other Ways To Embrace Bad News

View Bad News As An Opportunity

At the end of the day, bad news is what you make it. For example, if you just lost your job, like many of us have during covid, look at that as an opportunity. An opportunity to re-evaluate, grow, discover your passion, and find a better path that leaves you feeling more fulfilled and satisfied.

Accept That The Universe Knows The Perfect Time For You

Sometimes we are so convinced that we know what we want. And we are right. What we don’t realize however, is that we aren’t ready for it. Sometimes it is better to not get what you want now, and get it in the future when you are more mentally prepared and ready to take on the challenge. This holds especially true for actors and musicians that are waiting for their “big break”. This can also be true to somebody at works who get passed over for a promotion they really wanted. Just because it doesn’t happen tomorrow, doesn’t mean it won’t happen one year from now, or even one month from now. The universe will know when you are ready, and will give you not just what you want, but what you need.

Don’t Dwell On It

If you are like me, even the slightest of bad news can ruin your day. This is especially true if you are an empathetic person. The best thing to do when you get bad news is to accept it, remember that everything happens for a reason, and move on as quickly as possible. Meditation and long walks can help with this. If your goal is to start your own business, and you hit a road bump that delays launch, move past it. Keep working on your business. In life we will hit road bumps all the time, this is inevitable. What matters most is how we respond. I remember when I was a teenager and got into my first car accident. The first thing I did after the accident? Drive. When an unfortunate event hits, you need to keep on pushing and not lose confidence in yourself.

How do you deal with bad news, hardships and adversity? Let me know as always at eric@ericgolban.com

Best,

Eric