Trouble Don’t Last Always: Managing the Stuff of Life

There are songs – old and new –that declare “Trouble doesn’t last always “. Does it seem like there is trouble all around us these days? Songs and messages like these seem to be needed now more than ever. We hear tough news of violence, loss, and threats to the safety of others every day. Frankly, it is hard to get away from these kinds of troubling reports, but there is good news and reason for not becoming discouraged. The good news is that within each of us is the ability to respond to the challenges and difficulties that come our way. Sometimes difficulties come suddenly, while others seem to be a chronic part of life. However, no matter what the experiences that have shaped our lives, we have an inherent ability to adapt in the moment and over time – to survive and strive.

This is what resilience means. Resilience involves process and outcome – both are important to how we manage our emotional, mental, and behavioral well-being. The process includes time and sometimes this “process” can feel like an endurance test. More good news – the process does not mean trouble is all there is – there is something stronger, more enduring. The process also involves actions and steps. Along the way comes our inner strength, our fight, our grit, our vulnerability, and our sense of self. This is the real superpower. These qualities that we share allow us to go through the times we are in, to work things out the best way we can, and in the end, to come through! Resilience! In managing the stuff of life, find ways to share your journey and your breakthroughs with others. During tough times, making connections with others brings not only support – but bolsters your own inner strength. As the song says – trouble doesn’t last always”, but resilience can.

Denise Senter, Director of Mental Health, Education and Innovation