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Life is less like a box of chocolates and more of a fog-shrouded, high-speed, non-stop roller-coaster ride. You’ve got ups and downs, sudden twists, terrifying loop-de-loops, and lots of joy mixed with fear. No matter how prepared you might be, sooner or later, life is bound to serve up a big dish of bad luck. If you want to succeed in life, you have to learn to roll with the punches.

And that’s where the ‘Images That Precede Unfortunate Events 2’ Facebook page comes in. It’s an incredibly popular social media project that documents all the things that can go wrong in your life. We’ve collected some of the most wince-worthy images, as featured on the page, where disaster is literally moments from striking. Grab your hard hats and scroll down to check out the best pics, Pandas.

Bored Panda wanted to learn about cultivating emotional resilience and bouncing back after unfortunate events, so we reached out to the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. Wellbeing consultant, self-help book author, and BACP member Hansa Pankhania was kind enough to shed some light on our questions. You'll find her insights as you read on.

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Daniel Atkins
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Here we see the juvenile bird giving in to the peer pressure from the rest of the flock and tempt fate.

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We were very interested in how people can increase their emotional resilience when nothing seems to be going their way. BACP member, book author, and wellbeing consultant Pankhania shared a few key tips with us, from grounding to gratitude.

"Practice grounding techniques to stay in control," she suggested. "Take a deep breath, imagine roots in your feet, going down to the center of the earth. Breathe in and connect with the earth."

On top of that, the wellbeing consultant urged people to try therapeutic writing. "Write out your feelings to enable release. Holding onto negative feelings is not helpful," she told Bored Panda.

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    #3

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    Apatheist Account2
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The EU has ridiculously restrictive laws, yet they allow running with bulls. It's pathetic and anyone who get gored thoroughly deserves it.

    Metalhead Turtle 🇺🇦
    Community Member
    1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I third this. ETA: I saw another comment. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes. I feel like the bull is the loser.

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    zububonsai
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Does anyone know the back story to this pic, please? (Apart from he's dumb and has no situational awareness)

    XenoMurph
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    In the video he gets thrown, completely disorients him, he looks around to see what hit him, then gets thrown again from behind, again he can't see what hits him. Most oblivious man in the world.

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    Irishwoman abroad
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Probably not Pamplona, actually because it's absolutely forbidden to go near the bulls using a mobile phone, and also the runners are dressed on white. More likely a village bull run, more chance of an idiot like this getting stuck in the middle

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    Samantha
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This should be an ad for the dangers of cell phones, always be aware

    Darius S. (he/him) cis/grey
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    my thought too, How to say you're a tourist without actually saying it.. which is funny because aren't tourists supposed to look around..oh wait, Hey Folks, if you come to NYC and you wanna take a photo please step out of pedestrian flow. people Will crash into you at speed.

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    Dave Nalesnik
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    “What? I can’t hear you. There’s a lot of screaming in the background…”

    PandaGoPanda
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    From the blurring and color, looks like the other guy already got gored.

    RL R
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    "Hey man, any idea where the bull is locatHUUUUMPPPPP!"

    Maggie Mae
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Classic example of the Saying PAY ATTENTION to YOUR Surroundings!!

    MAKtheknife
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It's called the running of the bulls, not the answering of the phone!

    Michael Newton
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    HI, what? Did you say "Theres b******t about you or theres a bull about to hit you"? Say again slowly!

    Michael Newton
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Sorry did you say "there's a bull gonna hit you or theres b******t about you"... just say again slowly?

    Cynthia Rogers
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This is how a lot of men go thru life. Totally unaware until it hits them in the butt!

    Julia Atkinson
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Cell phone reception in Pamplona was much better than Keith had expected

    Caroline Overill
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I've gotta see a doctor mom. I keep getting a drumming sound in my ears.

    John Kiernan
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The. bull is about to show the guy what he thinks of the way he's dressed.

    David
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Yeah, margaritas sounds good. This bull thing is getting kind of boring anyway. See you at 5?

    Steve Hall
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This is just one of the many reasons you should never talk on the phone in public.

    Lupita Nyong'heaux
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    notice all the people in the background climbing out the way while capt. oblivious lives up to his name. i truly wanna know what happened here....

    Six sighs per hour
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    "Hey you better look out, there's a great big male bovine heading right for your posterior region just above the beltline and he's really mad, I'd say...oops, too late."

    martymcmatrix
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    »Mom, they all run away from me. It's likely because of my skin lotion with added pheromones...«

    TheGoodBoi
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    "This weird dude is videoing me, I'm gonna go head butt him, I'll call you ba-"

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    "Practice gratitude. Celebrate the small things that are going well every day, keep a list, and build on these positives."

    In the meantime, we wanted to find out how people could get back on their feet quicker after lots of unfortunate events.

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    Aside from embracing grounding, gratitude, and therapeutic writing, wellbeing consultant Pankhania suggested that people reach out to their social network for support.

    "Don't be shy to ask for help. We all need it at some time in our lives. Talk and ask for practical or moral support," she encouraged everyone.

    #4

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    Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa)
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    LOL I'll bet they're normal brownies and he's going to be freaking out all night waiting for it to "kick in".

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    Meanwhile, it's vital to prioritize self-care. "The times when self-care goes out of the window is when we need it most. Use the small gaps you have in your day to get a short walk, or meditate for a few minutes," she told Bored Panda, adding that spending time in nature is also a very good habit. "Nature heals and rejuvenates. Get out in the fresh air."

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    If you found the wellbeing consultant's insights helpful, be sure to check out her website and books. Meanwhile, if you happen to live in the UK and would like to consult with a therapist, take a look at the BACP's directory.

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    zububonsai
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    S**t, ouch 🥹😱🫨. But no AI, totally believable. Happened to me riding my bike when I lifted it up from street level up to a pedestrian lane ( like only 5 cm high). I watched my front wheel roll away ... Hurt like hell even though I managed to put me feet on the ground in time.

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    At the time of writing, the ‘Images That Precede Unfortunate Events 2’ project boasted 209k followers and 198k likes on Facebook. According to the curator of the page, it’s the successor to the original ‘Images That Precede Unfortunate Events’ page which got hacked when it got 90k fans on the social media network.

    The goal of the page is to show the humorous side of disasters in the making. After seeing images captured mere moments before a catastrophe, the audience is left wondering what exactly happened next. The fact that part of the story is left up to people’s imagination might be part of the page’s massive popularity.

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    You shouldn’t feel guilty about laughing at these images, even as you feel bad for the people—it’s a perfectly natural reaction. Not to mention that humor is a wonderful way to get through some tough times. Comedy helps you see even incredibly painful and hurtful situations from a fresh new perspective. On top of that, it distracts you from your problems, reduces stress, and boosts your mood.

    Meanwhile, in the long term, laughter can actually bolster your immune system, as your stress and anxiety levels are reduced. Laughter can also work to relieve pain and to help you connect with the people around you. However, it’s up to the person in question to find the humorous side of these nasty situations. Finding the silver lining when you’re in pain or completely embarrassed is quite a tall order. It requires a lot of self-awareness and emotional resilience.

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    Even though we might not be able to control many things that happen in our lives, we can partly control how we react to them. Becoming emotionally resilient is one of the best things you can do in life. It allows you to weather most misfortunes better than others, so you’re back on your feet and moving forward in no time at all. 

    ‘Time’ points out that increasing your emotional resilience comes down to striking a delicate balance between optimism and realism. Ideally, you want to see the world clearly for what it is without being in denial about the things you dislike. At the same time, you should strive to believe in yourself and have confidence in your abilities. 

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    Being scared is a natural part of being a human being. Fear is an integral part of who we are, even though it might feel unpleasant. However, we shouldn’t aim to live a life without fear because it can act as an important set of behavioral guidelines. Instead, we should strive to do the things we know are important despite being afraid. Real courage is taking action and doing what needs to be done when we’re scared.

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    Mark
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Schrödinger plates. They’re both broken and not broken until you open the door

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    Another big part of weathering whatever life throws at you is being prepared as best as you can (even though your plans might go bust). That means taking care of your physical and mental health, learning everything that you can about the situations you know you’ll find yourself in, and having at least a couple of back-up plans if things don’t go your way. Life might be unpredictable, but establishing at least some order and discipline is the least we can do.

    #24

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    Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa)
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This looks super staged. Maybe from a movie or a TV show? Seems to originate from Russia but that car is an Alfa Romero. Yeah, that's all I got.

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    At the end of the day, we need to be honest with ourselves about what we can and cannot control. Then, we can focus on the small parts of our lives that are within our grasp, minimizing risks as much as we can. As for the rest… disaster can strike at any moment, but the chances of this are slim.

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    #27

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    zububonsai
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    But dad does the smart thing to save his son's health: he puts his foot behind the back/head of the child to cushion the fall.

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    What we cannot do is let those small risks stop us from living life to the fullest. We protect ourselves as best as we can, and if we’re ever unlucky enough to find ourselves in positions like the people in this post, we’ll find ways to bounce back. 

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    We’d love to hear what you Pandas thought of the images shared on the ‘ ‘Images That Precede Unfortunate Events 2’ page. Which photos made you gasp the loudest? Which ones made you physically wince? Share your thoughts in the comment section. Oh, and if you’ve ever found yourself in a similar situation, feel free to spill the tea…

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    #39

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    pinkpie
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    In case there is one person who thinks this is a funny idea for real life: never, ever do this. You WILL get hurt.

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