When things go wrong in our lives, it's our first natural instinct to FREAK. OUT. Our heart beats faster, we forget to breathe, and suddenly, we drop everything else going on on our lies to fix this one itty, bitty problem. We can't believe how bad our luck has become, and we begin to fear the worst possible result. However, what we forget to do is breathe, and this is key to making the bad times seem not so unbearable.

Of course, there are caveats to this, but being consciously able to remind ourselves to take deep breaths has many benefits for the mind and body. It unties those knots in our stomach, slows down our heart rate and can prevent us from reacting poorly, even without intent. I cannot stress enough the importance of not misplacing your anger/stress/uncertainty on others around you. It is our responsibility to handle our feelings and know the appropriate people who can support us in difficult times.

Personally, I had the above happen to me when someone took their hurt/anger out on me due to a personal issue, and it made me feel very, very hurt inside. No one deserves to have that happen to them, which is exactly why I stress the previous so highly. It can totally change how you see someone, and often, it's not for the better. This is not to say that one should bottle their feelings inside, as that is NEVER the answer, but know the right time and place to talk about it and make every effort not to blend one issue with another personal problem that someone might not anything about.

In relation to this point, it is for this reason that we must take time with ourselves to understand how we feel about a not-so-positive occurrence in our lives and come to a point in which we choose what to do about it. A positive outlook is always very powerful, and whether you have a personal belief in God or not, it can be very empowering and reassuring in reminding yourself that a higher power in the universe is working in your favor and will help you out of your troubles, even if it doesn't feel like it in that very moment. You may even be put in that situation for a reason; perhaps it has a certain lesson to teach you that might be revealed until a later time. This can serve as a very smart way to think about your troubles and not let it take control of your day-to-day life.

As we have all heard before, you cannot control what happens to you, but you CAN control how you react to it. Practicing good habits in emotional intelligence, or EQ, is very important to our success in all aspects of life, both in school/work and at home. It is also important to be gentle with yourself while you work on self-improvement (as hinted in my last two articles!) and measure your success with smaller, more attainable goals that are realistic enough to achieve in your own designated time frame. These will keep you motivated on your road to success and conscious of your interactions with your internal thoughts and others around you.

It's never bad luck, or the universe working against you. The more you try to find ways that the world is messing you up, the more you'll find. Its all about perspective, and sometimes, you have to stick around long enough for your luck to find you. Even when things get hard, even when you might want to run just to escape your problems-you have to keep holding on.

Your luck will turn around, the sun will shine brighter at the end of the tunnel, and you''ll realize that you made the right choice by sticking to it and seeing it through the very end. Only winners reap the benefits of never giving up-losers don't. Stay focused on your doings, goals, hopes, and dreams, and work tirelessly every day to make them come true. Keep your feet on the ground and eyes on the stars, and you just might see it through.

But overall, you can look at your life and decide to be angry and stressed at what's going wrong, or be at peace with it, knowing in your heart what you can and cannot control. I have had to remind myself of this recently, and I implore you all to do so too! You can only be responsible for yourself, and the stress of trying to control every little thing around you is simply just not worth it. It's not being selfish, but rather, serves as a very effective way to live your life and grants you the peace you should know that you deserve.