WELLNESS & WELL-BEING
How to Cope When
Life Gets Scary
TAKE CARE OF YOUR EMOTIONAL HEALTH, TOO
By Sharee Silerio
T
he years 2006, 2012 and 2016 were hard for me. Three
years, 1,095 days, 26,280 hours that made up some of
the toughest moments of my life. And there always
seems to be something. Recently, just four days before
going to Los Angeles to pursue my dream to work in
film and televis ion, I was in a car accident.
I was riding in a van with my parents, chatting about how hard it
was to leave my baby sister at her college dorm – an eight-hour drive
from home. We just got on the freeway to go to our hotel, when
someone rear-ended us. In an instant, our bodies were tossed from
side to side as the vehicle swerved from lane to lane, left to right. We
were sure we were going to get hit again.
Thankfully, that didn’t happen.
My heart raced, and my blood pressure rose as I tried to make sense
.
of this. What was supposed to be a joyous, simple occasion turned
into one of the most fearful moments of my life. And I’ve had plenty.
There was the time two years ago, when my favorite uncle died
unexpectedly. It was the same year five family members died over the
course of five months; the same year I met depression; the same year,
my entire life changed. Four years before that, my brother went to
prison, and six years before that, my church family and I experienced
a tremendous loss, when five children on a youth outing drowned in
a river.
Sometimes I ask myself how I’ve made it through this – and so
much more – without losing my mind and will to live. To be honest,
I’ve come close to giving in, but I refuse to give up. I call it hope.
If you’re experiencing one of the most difficult, painful, draining,
seemingly impossible seasons of your life, remember these truths:
• Resistance – in the form of fear, doubt or obstacles - is a part of life’s
journey.
• Fear is an indicator that we are moving toward - and getting closer
to - our destiny.
• You are stronger than you think you are. Find your inner strength.
• Be thankful. There are often blessings in your storms if you look at
them through a lens of gratitude.
• Facing your fears makes you more compassionate, loving,
knowledgeable, helpful and well-rounded.
You will survive. Turn your fear into fuel, and you will be
unstoppable. Just take one step at a time!
Silerio is a St. Louis-based freelance writer, a blogger, and a film and TV
writer and producer. Her work has appeared in The Root, Curly Nikki and
The St. Louis American. For more information, visit shareesilerio.com or
sincerelysharee.com.
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