We all have suffered from different blows in our lives.
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Some blows are easy to handle; some are not especially when they come so close with each other.
We thought that all couples are going through money issues at one time in their lives.
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2015 has been a year of several blows, but I managed to get through. Last year was when my wife and I learned that we were pregnant with our first child after five years of waiting.
We were ecstatic even if we had financial challenges. We thought that all couples are going through money issues at one time in their lives but managed to get through.
We thought what mattered was I had a job and was consistently learning to create a side hustle with the blog and podcast niche.
However, three weeks before we were to give birth, I lost my job. I was devastated. We did not have much of savings, no health insurance, nothing.
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Despite this huge setback, my wife gave me the strength I needed and told me that what mattered is that we have a child coming soon and finding ways to replace the lost income would be easy.
I agreed and mustered all the strength to make a living. We made chocolate lollipops and started selling them in schools within our area.
Nothing could break us at this time. We had a daughter coming soon, and that alone was our greatest motivator.
The day came that she was born. Everything was ready. The room, the crib, the clothes, the name. September 21, 2015, Alessandra Reichl was born and on the same day, she said goodbye to us.
We were devastated.
I thought the all of these was a cruel joke. I could not believe it was real. Losing a job and losing a daughter in less than a month. I did not leave the house for two weeks. All I did was try to think whose fault it was.
Bills were coming and piling up. No income was being made. I felt like I had hit the end of the road until I looked at my wife. She does not deserve a man who is a wreck. I have to get up from this. Whatever the reasons are for things happening to us, I had to get up. That day, I told myself that I will sleep early and start the following day right.
Since that day, I started doing 50 pushups every morning. I started to run. I started to listen to audiobooks, podcasts. I started doing things instead of thinking of things. And I started to feel that I was moving forward. My head started to think clearly.
But what really helped me overcome adversity was talking to people. I went back to the schools where we sold our products.
The teachers asked me how the baby was doing and if the wife was okay since they did not have a clue as to what happened.
Instead of avoiding their questions, I started answering them all. I told them every detail of what happened.
Was it difficult? Yes like hell yes! But it was all worth it. I have also shared my story with several people I have met up to this day. Was it to get sympathy? No.
It was for me to learn to accept things and use the feelings I had inside to fuel my intensity to succeed.
Are you mad at your ex because she left you for someone better looking? Then start exercising.
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Before everything that happened, all I dreamt of was to tell people stories of my life and somehow help them understand that bad things do not happen to us to break us. Bad things happen to us to make us stronger. And when get stronger, we serve as sources of inspiration for other people going through tough situations.
It could be death in the family. It could be a marriage falling apart. It could be debt trying to get everything that you have.
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Instead of just staying at home and just pitying, get up. Take a shower. Turn your TV off and speak to people. Just start doing something. Use the problem that you are facing as your fuel to move forward.
Are you mad at your ex because she left you for someone better looking? Then start exercising. Are you mad at all the bills coming demanding that you pay? Use that as your motivation to hustle and look for more sources of income.
Adversity will make or break you. By now, you should know what to make of adversity.
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Photo: Flickr/ Lucia Castillo