When times are tough, as with the current economic recession, it’s always easy to give in to depression and constantly moan about the woes of life. There are just too many worries to constantly think about: bills to pay, family to care for, and so on. The troubles never end. The truth is, they never do! As you make your journey through life, you’ll always encounter barriers and hurdles. These are trials meant to test your strength and improve your will. Rather than simply give up and cry your frustrations out, you might want to look around you and see that no one is exempt from problems.

Self pity might get you sympathy initially, but if this is a repetitive behavior, do not be surprised if you lose friends along the way. When you have become the black hole for energy, people will avoid you like a plague. No one wants to be surrounded with sadness, and no one can take a whiner for too long a period. You have yet to meet the individual who never struggles with frustration. This comes with the territory of being human. It’s not wrong to be frustrated, but it’s how we handle our frustration that counts.

One of the most effective ways to change how you react to negativity is to change how you see it and what you do about it. Self pity is a shortcut to the path of destruction. When you give in to depression, you’re basically saying that you do not have it in you to solve the problem. As a matter of fact, you’re just aggravating the situation. You yell, curse, and cry, yet the problem still remains unsolved.

On the other hand, a more productive solution would be to view frustration is as a chance for improving your abilities to solve the problem. If you get frustrated, try to have an outlet. Go talk to an acquaintance, visit a specialist, or pound that hammer away in your garage. You need to let it out and find a way to express your explosive emotions rather than keep it locked inside. If this is your constant practice, expect the dam to break eventually. Alternatively, ask yourself what the possible solutions are. The thing about self-pity is that if you can not get other people to feel sorry for you, you can always just feel sorry for yourself.

Pity parties are always a party of one because no one wants to be on the guest list. Just know that when you catch yourself in this state, you tend to lose perspective. You lose sight of the big picture and will be unable to spot the solution that might just be right under your nose. When you’re too caught up in your problems, you will be too busy to even notice the faintest flicker of hope.

You must find ways to bounce back. Be the victor, not the victim. Life is a marathon, and your goal should be not to win it all the time. Alternatively, you need to focus on your running and learning not to quit. Besides making excuses on your failure, you must learn to get back up and let your creative juices flow so that you are able to accomplish what you want most. Have a worthwhile goal, one that deserves a spot in your loved ones’ minds. If your life were a book, let it fall under the inspirational category.