Drubbing Barriers

1 – 2/14/2017: Challenges either result in success or failure. However, we don’t reach success as often as failure reaches us.

When failure strikes in, depression becomes imminent. Your physical brain is always eavesdropping on your thoughts. It listens to your mood, your state of mind, your feelings, and your intentions.

What most people don’t know is that you can control your brain.

One of many interesting pieces of advice I read about this is to “use your brain, don’t let your brain use you”.

If you choose the latter, you will be labelled as weak. You will be docketed as an inept individual. You will be perceived by everyone you know as incompetent.

The query that we tend to disregard is how to escape depression, avoid stress, and overcome challenges?

In the end, it is “the how” that we don’t know of. We might lack the motivation, suffer from dearth of incentive and enthusiasm, and so on.

But, all these variables are fairly easy to overcome once you learn your true phenomenal potential.

Don’t feel confused. I am not saying that overcoming any of these problematic challenges is easy.
None of them is, for the unprepared mind. In this column, I will be writing simple ideas and useful advices about how to possess aptitudes and capacities that help you overcome any challenging dilemma that faces you in all matters of life.

My first advice is this: prepare for it before it happens.

Preparing for a party is exhausting. You have so many variables to worry about. You’re expected to do your calculations and prepare for an unforgettable event – for people you know nothing about.

You have to worry about ushers, catering, guest lists, security, VIPs, etc.. The only person you don’t worry about is you; the humble event planner.

When it comes to your brain, selflessness is not a smart path to canter.

Only a wise person knows that he/she should become egoistic. It is your brain after all, and if you shall not care for it when it asks to learn, it will not fulfill your requests of being strong when you’re in a state of weakness. To make these statements more vivid, query this example:

Your friend asked you to bring her a dress for the evening party. You dress up nicely, pick up her dress from her place, and head towards your meeting point.

While you’re on your way, in haste, an old lady does her best to stroll across the road. She didn’t quite get there – yet. She’s in your way, and as you notice her humble presence, you instantly press the brakes as hard as you can, forcing your car to drift.

Few cars have the capacity to stop in a few seconds when you’re pushing the gas on 90 mph – yours doesn’t. The car bumps into a tree, you sway through the window and into the tree.

Ambulance arrives in 10 minutes, allowing the internal bleeding in your brain to cause its damage.

Your brain is slightly deteriorating now. You almost die. You enter a coma. And after 28 days on ventilators and whatnot, your family and friends started to lose hope of your return.

However, you don’t let go that easy. You fight. You’re saved by a miracle! The shock strikes all but you with your memory loss.

You can’t recognize your family, and you can’t recognize your friends. You receive the warm hugs and loving wishes of getting better by complete strangers.

You don’t recognize who you are or why you’re here.

Here comes the challenging question; were you prepared?

This scenario is an extreme. However, studying extremes shows us how are we going to handle them when we face them. Being prepared is obviously a must, especially when you have no clue when you might face such a challenge. But, what is ‘prepared’?

The word prepared is defined in the American dictionary as to make (someone) ready or able to do or deal with something, which in our case is hardships. But, why be prepared?

Ahmed El Nadi
Caravan Columnist