You've heard if before – sometimes, bad things happen to good people. People get sick, lose jobs, get divorced, have financial problems, raise troubled kids, suffer from depression and there are a multitude of other things that can go wrong in life.  Sooner or later we all face some kind of trouble. 

What does it take to get past some of the heartache that we all surely experience?  I recently saw the movie Men of Honor and was engrossed with one man's quest to be all he could be in his life.  Many seemingly insurmountable obstacles were thrown in his path and, yet, he kept finding ways to go where he wanted life to take him.   

What does it take to keep the faith, find the good in circumstances and continue on your journey through life? In my work as a coach, and from personal experience, I have found it takes healthy doses of the following elements to press on.   

1. A sense of purpose.  People who continue on know who they are and what they bring to the table.  They also know that success is cumulative and that a person is not the sum or his successes or failures, but rather a total sum of his how his mind, body and spirit operate.   

2.  The ability to see the big picture and keep a positive attitude.  Troubles and turmoil are often the steppingstones to greater and bigger dreams.  This is difficult to see in the midst of trouble, but having even the smallest mustard seed of faith will help propel you forward. Think positive! 

3.  Perseverance and support.  When you know who you are meant to be, the only way to be that person is to keep pressing on.  Find a way.  If there is not a path, then make one.  And don't go it alone.  Get the support you need. Find someone you trust.  Ask for their feedback and support.  Why make life harder than it has to be?  When you go it alone, you make it that way. 

Keep on keepin' on!