Life can be hard and unforgiving. Even for the luckiest, happiest folks, things go wrong. The unexpected creates drama and problems at the most inopportune times. Rather than succumbing to these issues, though, everyone has their own chance to change the course of their life when things are bad. No one is required to limp to the figurative finish line or let the low times get the best of them. Redemption is always right around the corner.

This redemption can come in many forms. How much effort, work, and passion are required to overcome is different for each person. It also depends on the scenario and situation that has submarined your life in the first place.

Issues that set people back run the gamut from annoying to debilitating. And everyone reacts differently. Some people find themselves torn up by the slightest inconveniences during everyday life. A lost debit card, missed appointment, or stomach bug can ruin some people. For others, it takes much greater problems to set them off their course. Either way, problems can be solved.

The most serious of issues are those pertaining to your health and well being. Diseases, both natural or self-caused, can kill even the strongest of fighters. For diseases such as addiction, help is never too far away. There are programs, rehabilitation centers, advisors, and experts who can help you overcome the lure of any vice. Setting your life on the right course is as simple as making the decision to change and improve. From there, every other step will feel easier.

If your health and wellness do not hang in the balance, your well being still might. Those without careers to support themselves and their families encounter just as many issues as those with illnesses; they just aren't as obvious.

Constantly working to keep up with bills and never getting ahead can make any person feel trapped. A weight of inevitability can feel dire and impossible to overcome. Again, the choice to make a change is just as vital as the pending change itself.

Those interested in hunting down a new career can find help and relief online. Besides simple job postings and application processes, there are a wealth of companies out there changing the hiring game from hiring startups to Indeed. Even LinkedIn has gotten much more involved in the job marketplace with their new Jobs app. Companies also offer the ability to better yourself through learning, which sets up previously under-qualified candidates for better opportunities in the future.

Such advancements range from becoming CPR or first aid certified, studying a craft, taking educational classes, or joining courses for detailed training in a variety of fields. It can be hard work, but usually things that are worth doing are worth putting in effort for. In a couple months, something that had previously been foreign to you can become a new strength in your professional repertoire. The issue most folks have is that first step of deciding to make the change. A few months feels like a long time to switch up your routine and take on added responsibilities. But in the grand scheme of your life, it is hardly a blip, and the payoffs could be massive.

From reactively overcoming problems that have arisen to proactively improving parts of your life for a better future, setting yourself on the right path is all up to you. Problems come and go; no one lives a perfect, carefree life. The people who get the most out of their existence are the ones who are willing to work through the hard parts to get to the better ones.

Jason Gordon
USS Sports Machine