Last week I was called on an assignment for The One Show to go and find out public opinion on the latest news and see what people were generally interested in.

A common thread amongst all the interviews was that there was too much suffering and bad news around which was quite depressing, thus resulting in some people avoiding the news altogether.

And not only do we hear about what is going on nationally, but locally too.

A lady whose cat was run over, a young girl rowing on a Saturday cruelly snatched away from life and a man who had a stroke and needed to be identified.

As well the news we hear about, there are all the other problems, large or small that present themselves to all of us throughout our lives.

These can manifest themselves in lots of different ways – family issues, not knowing where money will come from to pay bills, fearing the possibility of losing a job.

They all have the potential to be life changing and you simply can’t judge them and say one issue is more important than another because it’s all subjective.

My Grandmother was a god-fearing woman and would often tell me ‘adversity will come to us all’ and ‘be strong’.

I have to say she was right. It doesn’t matter how happy, organised or clever we are, each one of us will encounter challenges and difficulties whether we like it or not.

I’m not exempt either and at times Michael and I will discuss situations and will question ‘life’.

In the past I’ve even heard myself say ‘why me?’ but what I’ve learned over time is that tribulations that I’ve had to face have made me much more confident and resilient.

Trust me, at the time, I don’t feel that way but what comes to mind is the old cliché, what doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger.

Another self-preservation mechanism I swear by is always be prepared to accept the worst should it ever occur.

Most of the time, it never does! That’s not to say I’ve been presented with all challenges possible and who knows what I’d do if the worst thing imaginable should happen, but I guess I’ll have to wait to see what lies ahead.

One thing I try to do is have empathy and imagine how others may be feeling as they go about their daily business.

You never know, a quick smile or hello may just ease a struggle someone may be going through.