Why Hitting Rock Bottom is the Best Thing That Can Ever Happen to You

A lost job. Financial catastrophe. The death of a loved one. Separation. Rejection. Sickness. Loss.

In what seems like a blink of an eye, you could go from flying high on cloud nine to plummeting to the lowest abysses of the earth.

Where do you go from there? What can you possibly do? How do you climb out? Difficult as it may be to believe at that time, hitting rock bottom could be the start of a whole new world of opportunities.

A chance to refocus your life

When you hit the lowest point in your life, your new life begins. Rock bottom situations force you to reassess your life and determine what is really important.

Ironically, it is so much easier to adopt a healthier lifestyle when you are faced with a life-threatening illness. The simplest things—a hug, a kiss, time spent with a loved one become more meaningful than the possession of material wealth.

Your lowest low lets you gain new perspectives, prompting you to live a more meaningful life.

Getting out of your comfort zone

Whether you crash-land or slowly free-fall to your rock bottom, when you hit the ground, your entire life will be rattled and shaken. Your life might even be unrecognizable.

At this point, you are presented with the perfect chance to wake up and take renewed action towards the goals you have been postponing.

Start that business. Take those classes. Jump on that flight. Join that gym. Write that book. 

Alleviating your fear of failure

The worst has happened but you are still here. Surviving a life-shattering situation can boost your confidence level, sharpen your resolve and strengthen your resilience.

The mere thought of losing your job, your material possessions or a loved one is naturally terrifying. Yet when these things actually happen, they tend to make you realize that you can survive just about any misfortune.

Hitting rock bottom may also reveal things that you did not know about yourself. Your inner survivalist may be emboldened, your faith may grow stronger, your cognitive and tactical ability to solve problems may be boosted.

Knowing that you can survive any situation gives you the sense that you can do anything and not worry about failing.

Learning immense life lessons

It is said that everything happens for a reason. This is obviously hard to believe when you are at the lowest point in your life.

A lot of the time, drastic things happen in life to teach us lessons we would not have learnt any other way.

You could become extremely sick to learn the importance of healthy eating and regular exercising.

You could lose a loved one for you to understand the preciousness of life.

You could lose a job for you to learn the importance of having emergency funds for a rainy day.

In every crisis, look a little bit closer underneath and you will find a lesson waiting to be learnt, a silver lining waiting to be discovered.

An opportunity for hindsight and foresight

Crises stop you in your tracks; they force you to reassess your life and to pursue a future that has fewer mistakes.

When life is flowing along perfectly, most people do not stop to look where they were, where they are and where they are going. On the other hand, hitting rock bottom forces you to look back at any mistakes you made and to forge a future with fewer mistakes.

Whether you have been nurturing an unhealthy lifestyle, procrastinating about writing that book, or accumulating too much debt, it is possible to identify your mistakes and to resolve them so they do not reoccur.

A chance to start over again

The rock upon which you fall is the foundation for building something else bigger, stronger, savvier, better. A rock-bottom situation sweeps your plate clean, allowing you another chance to start your life afresh.

Sometimes, becoming sick could be the best thing that ever happened—once you recover, it gives you a chance to start anew with a healthier diet and a more rigorous exercise regimen.

Losing that job could be the best thing that ever happened—it could be the start of a thriving business that offers you freedom and an ocean of unforeseen opportunities.

The Only Way is Up

Encountering loss or extreme hardship could be the end of life as you know it. But, this does not mean that nothing worthwhile comes from hitting rock bottom. Find the lessons to be learnt and give yourself the chance to discover the hidden gems hidden in the roughest of situations.