Have I Had a Difficult Life?

Take this quiz to find out!

We know that life is never exactly easy, but some of us have it harder than others. What kind of life have you had this far?

Answer a few quick questions about your experiences, and we’ll tell you if you’ve had a difficult life.

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Questions Overview

1. Have you ever had to say goodbye to someone you love?
  1. Yes, several.
  2. Yes, a few.
  3. Yes, 1 or 2.
  4. No, I don't think so.
2. What would you tell your younger self?
  1. "Life isn't fair, so don't expect it to be."
  2. "At the end of the day, all you can rely on is yourself."
  3. "When one door closes, a window opens."
  4. "Get out of your comfort zone. That's where life happens."
3. Do you feel like you've had to overcome great odds to get to where you are today?
  1. Yes. It felt impossible, but I got through it.
  2. Yes. They were very hard, but not impossible.
  3. Sure, the odds were bad, but I had help.
  4. Not really.
4. Do you ever feel envious because you can see that other people were given more opportunities than you?
  1. All the time. I want the lives other people have.
  2. Pretty often. It's hard not to.
  3. Sometimes, but I work with what I have.
  4. Not really, to be honest.
5. Do you have to think or stress about money regularly in your life?
  1. Yes, constantly. And I still do.
  2. Frequently, but not always. It's a struggle.
  3. Sometimes, sure. Money can be tight.
  4. No, but I have other problems.
6. Which common regret do you relate to the most?
  1. I wish I knew then what I know now.
  2. I wish I could have stood up for myself.
  3. I wish I hadn't wasted so much time working so hard.
  4. I wish my life were more fulfilling.
7. Do (or did) you suffer from a mental or physical illness or condition that limits your life?
  1. Yes, my condition makes it hard to leave my bed.
  2. Yes. My condition makes it hard to leave the house.
  3. Yes, my condition gets in the way of everyday life, but it's manageable.
  4. No, nothing serious.
8. Have you ever felt like you had nobody to turn to when you needed help?
  1. Yes, constantly. But I found my own way through.
  2. Yes, sometimes. Help can be hard to find.
  3. Never, or not often. I have a good network.
9. How would you describe your home life as a kid?
  1. I'd rather not think about it.
  2. It was tough, and I'm glad I got out (or I'm looking forward to leaving).
  3. It wasn't perfect, but whose is?
  4. I come from a pretty loving and supportive family.
10. Which of these makes you happiest?
  1. Spending time with friends.
  2. Spending time in nature.
  3. Spending time creating.
  4. Spending time alone.

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Life has not been easy to you, to say the least. You've weathered tragedies, setbacks, and multiple disasters that would have caused a weaker person to falter. But not you. You're not someone who ever gives up. Some of those may still haunt and hound you, but you're not someone who runs or cowers when the going gets tough.

We won't sit here and tell you that bad things happen for a reason, or that every cloud has a silver lining. Sometimes things just suck, and you know that better than anyone. But what matters is that you\u2019ve made it through all those tough times. You might\u2019ve lost a few battles here and there, but just by being alive right now, you\u2019re winning the war. You\u2019ve overcome impossible odds and bounced back from times when it looked like things were going off the rails for good. And if you did it before, you can do it again and again until your train finally arrives at a station where things aren\u2019t so hard.

When times are tough, help is out there. Check out these resources:

What to Do When Life Gets Hard

Consider your mindset. No, we don’t mean that when things are hard, it’s all just in your head. What we mean is that when things are hard, it doesn’t help to fall into despair or to give up. That just makes things worse. There’s a solution to every problem, even when those solutions aren’t perfect, and the first step to finding those solutions is to believe that they’re real.

Reach out for help. There are people out there just waiting to help you. Maybe it’s a close friend who has resources to help you, or family that can connect you to someone with those resources. Or, maybe it’s a professional, like a therapist or psychologist who can listen to your experiences and come up with a plan to get you back on track. If you need resources, start with an internet search. Help is always out there.

Take a timeout. Have something to eat, take a drink of water, go outside if you can. Often, things feel worse than they really are when we’re hungry, dehydrated, or exhausted, and a quick refueling can give us the energy and motivation we need.

Make a list of priorities. What’s most important right now? Is it getting food? Is it taking care of someone who depends on you? Make a list of your priorities and see which ones you can tackle first. That way, your problems become tangible and tackleable.

Think about what you’ve learned. Life is hard! And often, life sucks. What matters, though, is that quite often things don't suck, and you also know this. Those small, miraculous moments that overwrite the tragedy are what makes life worth living—laughing with friends, sinking your teeth into a fresh strawberry, seeing the sky light up with a summer sunset—and you've learned to find those moments wherever and whenever they come, and that's something that other people don't know how to do, but it makes all the difference.

Avoid comparing yourself to other people… unless it helps. They say the grass is always greener on the other side. When times are tough, avoid the urge to wish you were someone else, or had someone else’s resources. That’s not super helpful, and won’t solve your situation. But, if it does help, consider that other people might have it worse, and they’re still surviving. It’s all about perspective, sometimes.

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