Life offers a series of twists and turns that seem unrelated and like directionless road blocks. It never fails, when everything is going great, something happens to ripple the calm waters. We often blame the moment on “it figures” or “this is my luck” type references. But the truth is, not many people experience many totally calm waters. If it appears like they do, chances are it is because of how they respond to the ripples, not the absence of ripples.

Choosing how to respond to a situation is a reflection of you, not the situation at hand. That is not to say that you should embrace every turn with open arm and gratitude. I have not had the best response to every event that has come in to my life, and don’t expect to but that doesn’t mean that you have to fold at every sign of struggle.

Hang in there, ride the wave and clear your own path. Most often the reason for failure is lack of perseverance. Now, there are times when you do need to look at the whole picture, swallow your pride and cut your losses, but not all the time.

The people who “made it” did so in spite of trials and road blocks. Some times you need to learn how to bend. While a mild storm can break down some of the strongest fences, but a flag can still blow through some of the strongest storms.

When you feel like you are alone in a tough situation, it can be easy to lose sight of the value in hanging in and moving forward. Help yourself by having a plan, by talking with someone who has been in your shoes, or keeping a journal and finding within yourself the limits and the boundaries that you need to make. Sometimes it is a simple modification and sometimes it is a new plan.

If you are struggling with your fitness goals, the chances are you have either not given yourself enough time or are not working with the right information to make the right changes. I have a workout guide to help you get started and be armed with information to make a difference.

If it is a personal or business situation, take some of the same principals as you would in anything else. Write down your goal and how you see yourself getting there, map out a time-line and see if it’s reasonable. Write the pro’s and con’s associated with success and failure. Be honest with your ability to make it happen. So many dreams are disillusioned. Just because someone with your skills made it easily, doesn’t mean you will. You have to know that your journey will be independent of everyone else’s. Your struggles will be unique and your success will hold different value.