We all know what it means to face challenges and subsequently, want to overcome adversity. In the fast-paced world of athletics and the demanding environment of professional life, setbacks and challenges are inevitable. These obstacles often shake our confidence and make us question our abilities. However, it is during these times of adversity that having trust in ourselves becomes crucial. As a mental health and mindset coach, I understand the significance of cultivating self-trust as a means to maintain mental peace and stay focused on our goals.
How do you maintain a sense of mental peace when you’re going through a hard time and things don’t seem so hopeful? It’s easy to get overwhelmed and wrapped up in the situation. It might be all you can think about.
How Trust Can Help You Overcome Adversity
One key I’ve found over the years is not just to be present in the moment (i.e., not overly thinking about the past or the future), but to bring in the critical element of trust.
In the study and practice of mindfulness, there are seven key principles. One of them is trust. The mindfulness principle of trust encourages you to cultivate a deep sense of trust in yourself, your experiences, and the present moment. Trust in mindfulness involves having faith in the inherent wisdom and intelligence of one’s own mind and body. It is about letting go of doubt and allowing oneself to fully engage in the present moment without judgment or resistance.
Trusting in mindfulness also means recognizing that every experience, even the challenging ones, has something valuable to teach us. By cultivating trust in the practice of mindfulness, you can develop a greater sense of self-awareness, resilience, and the ability to navigate through life’s ups and downs with grace and equanimity. This empowers you to embrace the present moment and all its uncertainties, knowing that you have the inner resources to face whatever arises with openness, curiosity, and acceptance.
Here are two simple steps for bringing in more trust into moments of adversity:
- You have to trust that regardless of what the outcome of your current situation is, you’re right where you’re supposed to be and that you’ll be okay. Even if you aren’t satisfied with that outcome, remember that you might have lessons to learn here or there may be another door opening that you can’t see just yet.
- Secondly, trust yourself. Trust that you’re going to make the best decisions possible and that you’re doing the best you can at that particular moment in time. Even if you make mistakes, trust that you’re learning and that when you know better, you’ll do better.
By allowing yourself to experience more trust in life, you’ll allow yourself to experience greater mental peace. You’ll also gain more energy because instead of constantly trying to resist and fight against whatever is happening–and is probably out of your control–you’ll put yourself in a place of being proactive in doing what you can to take the next best steps day by day, hour by hour, moment by moment.