What happens when life knocks you out? Do you stay down for the count or do you get up and get back into the ring?
This past week we had an issue in our family that hit us like a Mack truck! We did not know what had happened. We were totally blindsided. And let me tell you when things like this happen it is like you were just punched in the stomach and all of the breath is knocked out of you, literally. I read a quote once from Vince Lombardi that said, “It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up.”
Listen, I had to make a conscious decision to not let this situation take me out. I choose to get up before the count was up and kept moving forward. As long as we live this life we will have challenges that will knock us out, but the key is to not stay out. Pick yourself back up and keep going. I know that can be easier said than done because I was once that person who stayed down. I didn't want to get back up, I just wanted to wallow in it! Boy has times changed. I can totally see growth and maturity on my part. Just like when this issue popped up, I was wobbly for a moment, but I got my balance back, got back up and got back in the ring.
I realized that I was the only one who could change how I reacted to this situation and move myself forward. At once I profoundly understood that if I just shifted my mindset a little I had so many more choices than I initially thought. And this is the beautiful thing. We all have these choices. In every moment. We all have the control to change how we feel about any given situation. I understood that only I could change my outlook and move forward.
How was I able to make the mind shift? By following these three simple small steps:
Held myself accountable.
Don't always make excuses. What do I mean by that? Be conscious of those times when you were making excuses. Examples. Relationships didn't work out? It’s your responsibility. Not doing the job you want? Well, it’s your responsibility. Feeling unhealthy and tired? You guessed it, it’s your responsibility. Don’t judge yourself, yet simply ask what you could have done to get different results. Hold yourself accountable and take action on what you’ve learned. Taking responsibility means you allow yourself to be vulnerable and open.
Move your focus.
Don't focus on the obstacles in every situation rather than the opportunities. I’d been looking behind me at what had happened rather than looking in front of me at what could happen. Once I realized that, everything changed. Because the thing is, what we focus on is what we move forward, it becomes our reality. Remember what you think you become. I had to stop thinking of the negative that happened. By changing my focus, by looking forward again and focusing on the next step in life, I instantly saw sunlight bursting through the clouds (I mentioned this in my video).
So when you’re feeling knocked down, ask yourself, what is my focus right now? Am I focusing on something I want or something I don’t want? Am I seeing the opportunities or only the obstacles? What am I looking at?
Change how you speak to yourself.
The last thing I realized was that I had to change how I spoke to myself. Yes, I’d had a few knock outs, but I could choose how I was going to deal with the situation, and there were times when I choose to see the negative outcome instead of the positive. That had to stop. Just like choosing where we place our focus, the language we use is also something we have full control over. When we take responsibility for our lives, shift our focus, and change the way we talk to ourselves we take back control of our experiences.
Change takes a second, getting to the point where you’re ready to change is what can take a little longer—but with the right steps it can happen a lot more quickly.
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