We’ve all had difficult experiences in life. If there weren’t problems we wouldn’t have jobs is a common phrase heard in corporate America. But some setbacks, especially emotional and deeply personal ones are the hardest to overcome. But while adversity lives we don’t have to allow it inside our homes, invading our lives and controlling our thoughts. Challenges are best met head on. Adversity and hard times can be a very overwhelming adversary if you allow them to be. “Allow” being the key phrase, what you allow inside your mind you become.
So how does one get back” on track”? There have been countless books , DVD collections, and television shows teaching the masses what it means to bounce back. Small fortunes are spent (and amassed) in the business of “bouncing back” . But without spending money that probably would create more challenges here are some tips to help “steady your ship”.
Thoughts Determine Action: Remember “what one thinks they become” sounds simple but if it were there wouldn’t be a need for inspiration. Positive thinking, however you decide to leverage and apply it. Some prefer prayer, some use affirmation, and others meditation. It all says that the mind is a powerful tool in combating the challenges that cause stress and eventually lead to illness. A great example of using the strength of the mind, author D. Michelle Stokes suffered the ultimate setback. Stokes lost her mother, her grandfather and another close friend along with her coaching job all within the course of a year. On levels of personal and professional this pretty much is the ultimate in loss. Stokes background coaching basketball helped her deal with the losses in a way that would best be described as amazing. She captured her emotions and her prayers, her experiencing in dealing with difficult losses in life and on the court in a monthly journal. The Result her journal became the book “Experiencing Grace”. The book did more than just provide Stokes with the mind shaping thought enhancing outlet she was looking for but also has helped countless others. Her writings and timely passages have led her to travel the world as guests of inspirational speakers. The lesson with Stokes and with all of us is that loss is devastating and we embrace that but the recovery is fulfilling because it gives us a testimony that will impact countless others in ways we’ve never imagined. Your thoughts are your most powerful weapon in the quest to overcome adversity.
Seek out and surround yourself with positivity: it doesn’t matter your financial situation inspiration is either a click or a short trip to the library away. Some of the best information I received, some of the best inspiration I received I found without spending a dime. Also this is the time positive people aid to your change in attitude, those people differentiate themselves by providing you the words or actions to help make your roughest days take a turn for the positive. Those people speak to you and move you in a way that you instantly recognize the action as your own personal message. You have to have it within you first (remember thoughts determine actions) to get up from any malaise. But those positive seeds however small or large will certainly help. Another exercise in positivity is projecting that which you want to receive. Kick start your positivity, find your favorite inspirational quotes and create a list. Make it a habit of seeking out one inspirational quote per day. Before you know it you’ll begin to become the resource you seek. Equipping yourself helps you to grow into what you want to become even faster.
Recognize that “a ha” moment . Recognize that your downtime may be prepping you for a huge breakthrough. It’s in darkest moments that purpose and preparation are found. This may be your bounce back moment. You have to recognize what put you in your current position, what the actions and responses to other actions did to land you where you sit at this moment. Analysis isn’t really effective unless you use the data. What are you doing to analyze your situation at this moment?
As stated earlier there is no simple solution, every story is different. You have to look at these points as helpful suggestions. There are many more that can be written. The first step is always looking yourself in the mirror and understand that the time is now. What is it that you want to become? What hurdles to do you have to scale? It starts with you, it ends with you , setbacks will always be there, they are not the ending,only a chapter in your story.