Life is more simple than we typically like to believe.
Given that we are humans and we are an emotional species, our own emotions tend to give us the perception that life is more complicated than it really is.
A natural law of the universe is that equal and opposite forces always attract, and this same rule applies in life.
We are constantly battling logic versus emotion, good versus bad, short term versus long term gratification etc.
When it comes to simplifying life, it is a matter of being able to find the balance between these equal and opposing forces.
Often when we come up short of some desired outcome is when we tend to over-complicate things the most.
Maybe someone broke your heart, maybe you didn't get the raise at your job that you wanted, or maybe your business fell through, whatever the case is, our emotions tend to take control when things don't go our way.
We all want more out of life and in order to achieve more, we must first be able to hold ourselves accountable.
This concept is simple in theory, but difficult in practice.
We naturally all like to think we hold ourselves accountable but when things don't go our way.
We are quick to point the finger at some external source as to why we don't have that things we want.
This is a natural emotional reaction.
Self-awareness and self-accountability are more than just understanding our own past traumas and means of behavior - true self-awareness is a matter of recognizing our own patterns and making conscious efforts to change them.
Again, the concept is simple to understand, but hard to practice.
When things get hard or when things don't turn out how we had hoped, the self-reflection period is where we will find the most answers as to why things are effecting us the way that they are.
A good rule of thumb to go by when things get hard is simply to do more.
Do more to understand yourself.
Do more to understand your situation.
Do more to get yourself into better physical, mental, and emotional shape.
It is a natural emotional reaction to do less when things get hard and we shell up in the midst of our own failures.
If something you have been working towards doesn't pan out the way you had hoped, it simply means you haven't learned what you needed to learn to achieve the outcome you desire.
Life is hard in the sense that we are always going to face new challenges, but is simple in recognizing that we have control over how things effect us.
Balancing these equal and opposite forces is all a part of the human experience, and the more we can grasp these concepts and build ourselves to better withstand what is to come, the more fulfilling life will be in the long run.