Step 4 - Finding Joy in Difficult Times

If there is a remedy when trouble strikes,
What reason is there for despondency?
And if there is no help for it,
What use is there in being sad?

The RAIN approach.

R is for Recognize
Naming your emotions is the first step in weakening their power over you.

A is for Allow and Accept
Let go of any agenda for the experience to change.

I is for Investigate with Interest
Investigate how it is expressing itself in your body and mind. Without trying to figure out or explain anything, notice what sensations accompany the emotion.

N is for Non-identification
When you identify with an emotion you put yourself into a box. Don't take it personally.

Don't push your emotions away or get lost in them. After a while you see that, like everything else, they change. They have a beginning and an end. this can make a huge difference in your life. You're not as apt to believe you'll be stuck forever and start pushing the panic button. And you can trust that you have the capacity to work skillfully with strong emotions.

When you feel overwhelmed.

-Look around you for something in the moment to appreciate.
-Engage one of your senses to return you to the moment. What do you see, hear, smell or feel? You might listen to a favorite piece of uplifting music or take a relaxing hot bath. Let yourself sink into that experience.
-Imagine the frightened, sad, or confused part of you as a young child. How old is that child? Imagine holding him/her in a tender embrace. What would you want the child to know?

By shifting your focus from the intense emotion, you can wake up from the dream your mind is creating and wisely address what needs to be attended to.

From Helen Keller, completely unable to see or hear found the grace and insight to conclude: Character cannot be developed in ease and quite. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved...All the world is full of suffering. It is also full of overcoming.