Help Dealing with Difficult Situations

I had an amazing time speaking in Atlanta last week, I even got to hang out with our friend Lincoln Parks.

When I got home some weird things started happening. My tongue went numb, I couldn’t taste anything for a couple of days. Then I started getting some bad headaches, after that I had problems with my left eye and the left side of my face.

I knew something was up but you know how it is, I figured I would be fine in a few days. After a few days I noticed something was differently wrong with my face, so I went in to get it checked out.

The long and short of it is I have Bell’s Palsy disorder. Bell’s Palsy is a condition that paralyzes one side of your face (the left side for me) and happens at least once to 80% of Americans.

There are a few things that can help like steroids (which I don’t want), some natural supplements but generally it clears up on its own, it just takes time. How much time? No one can really say. My brother had it and it went away in two weeks, my Pastor had it and it took two years.

So now when I talk it sounds different and most people stare at my face. I’m not in any pain, it’s just taking some time to get used to eating and not being able to use the left side of my face. My eye on the left side cannot close, so it is constantly watering.

Others have it worse

When we’re faced with difficult situations people often ask us how we feel or how we’re doing. We want to appear strong (some do believe this) so we say we’re good and we know others have it worse. I have said that a lot as people have asked.

Yet the truth is I’m screaming inside! Why me? Why now? I have conferences to speak at and how can I do that without being able to fully talk? I know others have it rough but this is rough for me right here and right now! When will this just go away?

I have gone through the whole range of emotions, I have outwardly been myself, yet inwardly depressed. I know I should turn to prayer but I’ve been too angry.

As I’m writing this I have gotten to the point of acceptance and realization. I do realize that this condition is not the end of the world, I do realize that I’m blessed beyond belief and I have absolutely no reason to be depressed.

I was in Kenya and the Philippines last year so I do know that there are people who are just looking to survive much less have this be considered a “problem.”

Deal with your emotions, then move on

When you’re dealing with a difficult situation the emotions are bound to come, we are emotional people. The key is to NOT bottle them up inside, find someone you know and trust and unload on them (don’t hit them or anything), tell them exactly how you feel.

For myself, I had to pull my wife aside and just get real, I wouldn’t be writing this post if it wasn’t for her support and willingness to listen.

You may be a strong person but no one can do it alone, we all need someone to lean on at one point or another. Reaching out to someone for support can be the difference between realization and absolute defeat! Click to Tweet

After you have gotten those emotions out of your system, move forward and live your life. Now understand that those feelings will always be there somewhere in the back of your mind but living your life means that they won’t win.

We have too much to accomplish

After I got through my emotional issues I realized that I have to get to work. I have big goals and dreams that I want to accomplish this year. I have many people who I want to help make their dreams a reality.

So even though I’m not at 100% physically, I still have to move forward and so do you. I know it’s rough, I know how you feel but this is your year, this is the year when you make all those dreams a reality.

After you’ve accomplish your goals is when you can go back and cry if you want but I’m guessing by then you’ll be over it, I know I will be.

Take an action step

So if you are going through a difficult situation right now then I want you to do one thing right away, even today: reach out and tell someone exactly what’s going on in your mind. 

Please feel free to email me at kimanzi@talesofork.com if you need someone to talk to about what you’re going through. If you do have someone in your life that you can talk to, then please don’t that ASAP.

So that’s your action step to takeaway from this post and the first step in moving forward. So……………

How do you deal with difficult situations? Is there one you feel comfortable sharing?