One of the bitter truths about life in this world is that it is surrounded by hardships and tribulations; no matter how much we try to avoid them, they always seem to find their way to us, as the Quran says,
Verily, We have created man into [a life of] pain, toil and trial. 1
And since there is no way for us to escape all these difficult moments, it is of utmost necessity that we find a way through which we can persevere in the face of calamities.
Referring to the Quran and the Hadiths of the Ahl al-Bayt (as), we come across some brilliant ways by means of which not only it becomes easy to go through life's hardships and trials, but also we might even begin to enjoy all the moments of this life no matter what the circumstances.
First of all, we should try to change our perspective on life and the way we see it, for this world is no more than a place for a brief sojourn into which we have been brought so that we secure a blissful life in the Hereafter and win our everlasting place close to Allah. Life in this world is brief and passes quickly whereas the Hereafter is better for those who are wary of their duty toward Allah. Imam Ali (as) is reported to have said,
Verily Allah has made this world for what comes after it and has put its inhabitants to trial so that He may know who from among them does the best deeds. 2
The Prophet (s) said, 'This world serves as the plantation for the Hereafter.' 3
The second way is to see the glass as half full and be mindful of the fact that behind all these bitter experiences there awaits us the beautiful reward of Allah and that one day we will come to realize how it was worth the pain, as Imam al-Sadiq (as) says,
If the believer were to know what blissful delights awaits him [in the Hereafter] as compensation for the adversities of this world, he would wish he were cut into pieces by scissors. 4
And last but not least, we need to strengthen our relationship with our creator and know that Allah is our protector, that whatever might happen to us is under the watchful eyes of Allah and that He will never let any of these struggles go to waste; Imam al-Sadiq (as) says,
One who has a clear proof from his Lord, the calamities of this world will become easy for him to endure. 5
We need to be constantly reminded that this transient life is condemned to pass and what remains is how we react in good and bad circumstances, so instead of becoming depressed and hopeless we had better do our best to put behind these difficult times in a way that is best and which will make us worthy of Allah's pleasure, His assistance and mercy in this world and His reward and forgiveness in the Hereafter.
References:
1. The Quran, [90:4]
لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْإِنسَانَ فِي كَبَدٍ
2. Nahj al-Balagha, Letter 55
الإمامُ عليٌّ عليه السلام: إنّ اللَّهَ سبحانَهُ قد جَعَلَ الدنيا لِما بعدَها ، وابتَلى فيها أهلَها ، لِيُعلَمَ أيُّهُم أحسَنُ عَمَلاً
3. Awali al-La'ali, v. 1, p. 267, no. 66
رسولُ اللَّهِ صلى اللَّه عليه وآله: الدنيا مَزرَعةُ الآخِرَةِ .
4. Al-Kafi, v. 2, p. 255
لَو یَعلَمُ المُومِنُ مَا لَهُ مِنَ الاَجرِ فِی المَصَائِبِ لَتَمَنَی اَنَهُ قُرَضَ بِالمَقَارِیضُ.
5. Tuhaf al-Uqul, p. 483
مَن كانَ عَلى بَيِّنَةٍ مِن رَبِّهِ هانَت عَلَيهِ مَصائِبُ الدُّنيا
Misfortunes and tribulations seem to be an inseparable part of our life in this world, and thus we are required to learn how to deal with them and come out of them victoriously. In the following paragraphs, you can find some useful ways through which you can make it through hard times with a confident heart and peaceful mind.