Everything in this world that lives, will one day die. That is a fact of life. From the moment we are born we begin a journey that ends the same for every human being. And along the way, we will lose many, many things: Time, loved ones, beloved pets, material things…

So in the midst of so much loss, how can we persist and thrive?

Some people are bubbly and upbeat, and some are sullen and negative. And most of us exist somewhere in between. So how is it some people cope so much better with life’s ups and downs than others? And why does handling adversity seem to come so much easier to some people?

When we embrace the idea that everyone has a choice about how they respond to life’s ups and downs, we can make different choices to affect different responses. If someone insults you or hurts you, try spending just a brief time examining what was really hurtful to you and why and address it with them directly, if necessary, and put it behind you.

When someone dies it is addressed naturally through grief, but one can embrace healing, too, and proactively seek out joy in the face of adversity. Even if only in tiny amounts. If you believe you will see your loved ones again one day, then reinforce that with all the things that supports that belief. Or if you believe at the end of this life there is nothing else, then strive to embrace the peace of that exists in finality. In both cases you can find ways to allow joy back into your life with a certainty born of your own beliefs.

There is a saying that if you go looking for trouble, you will most surely find it. And I would offer the same prophesy for attaining joy. Try it. Try a different way. Seek peace, healing and joy in the midst of pain and adversity. Allow yourself to embrace your mortality by filling in your fears with joy instead of fear. Will it be easy? Probably not. But it is possible.

John Pete is the founder of www.griefstreets.com