Two events are very predictable in our lives. Either you wake up in the morning feeling blessed, contented and happy with everything you have around you, or you are pissed off by some realities you wish could change in the blink of an eye.
For some people, what pisses them off the most is the fact that they have no money to take care of the next bill or put food on the table. It can be a tough place to be, except for one more truth: you are still the most important person in the world.
The truth remains that the ideas you are capable of creating, the people who will come through you, the people you will get to bless, and the impact you and those people will have on the world will only be possible because you are here to support them in whatever little way you can.
So, while you may be worrying about what you don't have at the moment, there is one exciting truth that is almost getting buried beneath your thoughts. And that is the fact that you are still the blessing the world is waiting to see.
The question is, can you relax a little and allow your nerves to calm down enough for you to figure out the right next move?
Because the answer to your current challenge is not necessarily that you have failed. It may actually be that you are trying to figure things out too quickly. You are trying to find answers faster than reality is presenting them to you.
Don't force the moment to be right, because if you do, you may miss the lesson that will be useful when the next moment finally reveals itself. The most interesting part is that you may be experiencing pain that you think is the result of what is happening around you, when, in truth, some of that pain is coming from pushing yourself against a solid wall.
You must recognise that when your efforts are no longer paying off, it is not always time to go harder. I know the world is full of people teaching that theory, but it can only end in more pain if you keep repeating the same actions without understanding what has changed.
What you need to do when things stop working is ask a few deliberate questions:
What has changed about this process?
What is the next better move?
Who has a working solution to this problem?
Once you are done asking those questions, you need to give yourself the grace you deserve. And that begins with reminding yourself:
“I've truly done the best I know how to do. But I guess this is the time to be calm, examine what is happening and figure out what I need to do differently.”
Remember this: life might sometimes look like an accident, but that does not mean it is against you.
Here are a couple of things you can try.
Recall the days when you did absolutely well, when things went smoothly and your bills were paid. Think about what you were doing differently during those periods. What was working? What decisions were you making? What resources did you have access to? Who was helping you? What did you understand then that you may have overlooked now?
Don't do this to convince yourself that your present situation is not real. Do it to remind yourself that your current reality is only one part of your experience. There have been moments when things worked, and examining those moments may help you understand what you can recover, improve or do differently.
Then reflect on your present situation. What exactly is not working? Is it that you lack the resources you need, that your approach is no longer effective, or that you are trying to solve a problem without the information or help required to solve it?
Be honest with yourself. You don't have to pretend that being broke is easy. You don't have to pretend that the bills are not waiting or that you are not worried about where the next meal will come from. But you also don't have to allow the pressure of what you lack today to make you forget the possibilities that still exist because you are here.
Sometimes, the next move is to seek help. Sometimes, it is to learn from someone who has already solved the problem you are facing. Sometimes, it is to change your approach. And sometimes, you simply need to pause long enough to see what you have been missing.
You don't have to solve your entire life today. You need to understand what this moment requires of you.
So, if you are broke right now, don't allow that reality to become the final conclusion about your life. You are facing a difficult situation, but you are still here. You can still think, learn, ask questions, make decisions and take another step.
The world may not be waiting for you to become rich before you can make a difference. There may be something you can contribute today, someone you can help today, or something you can learn today that will become useful tomorrow.
Give yourself the room to discover it.
You may not have the money you need right now, but don't let the absence of money make you conclude that you have nothing of value to offer.
You are still here. There is still a next move to make.