The key to overcome a challenge is to meet it head on…and to be in the moment of it
Eckart Tolle, author of the Power of Now, suggests that this moment is all you have. That is right, if you are reading this article, this moment is all that matters. The past is gone…learn from it…accept it…be at peace with what was and the future hasn’t even arrived yet and in our thinking, we are already concerned or worried about what might be. We create our future by putting negative thoughts, worries, fears and beliefs to it…
So…if you are reading this breathe, take a deep breath, 4 seconds in through the nose and then 4 seconds out through the mouth, release any negative thoughts as you do this…let it go. Now repeat the breath again…through the nose for 4 seconds and out through the mouth for 4 seconds, let go of negative doubts, fears, worries…
Now one more time, breathe in…(through the nose) and out through the mouth…let go of negative thoughts…
Last time, breathe in, then out…and at the end clap and shout YES!!!
How do you feel?
A little better huh?
Now what would happen if you faced a challenge…well, normally you would tense up, your thoughts would be fear based, worry might take over, shame, doubts and who knows what else might happen, but for some reason our brain goes to the negative.
Maybe, it is the brain trying to protect you to be prepared for the worse. Some of the benefits of negative thinking are as follows:
- It does prepare you for the worse case scenario
- It gets you to go into protection mode, so that if the worse was to happen, you can be prepared, mentally, physically and emotionally
- It may force you into taking protective action.
While negative thoughts about a challenge or situation isn’t a bad thing, you may need to retrain the brain a little too…begin to embrace positive thoughts…see a challenge through to it’s outcome and see in your minds eye, a positive, fair outcome to the challenge you face. This takes practice believe me.
You need to get quiet and meditate…and really imagine a positive out come…you may need to write out or talk out loud a list of positive affirmations about the situation you are in. For example, I affirm all will be well, all will work out well!
You may need to get quiet again and do a little visualization as well, see yourself achieving the result you want.
When you are faced with a challenge, be it a personal, work or business challenge, take stock…breathe, get quiet, see it through, meditate on it…get perspective, think of the positive outcomes that this challenge might force you to move toward. Think of the gift that this challenge brings.
The key is not to get overwhelmed by your challenges, to be in the moment of it rather than the past or the future of the challenge.
You need to meet your challenges head on.
No amount of positive action, meditation or thinking will make a challenge go away.
But…your attitude towards it can be a big factor in you achieving success in the end.
Decide “Who are you going to be in the face of a challenge”? Are you going to back down? Are you going to meet it head on with pride and self love, even some self care in that too?
How you handle challenges, depends on you.
The outcomes of a challenge, can be a wonderful learning experience, a personal realization of how truly great you are and how you can survive tough situations as they arise and to remember past challenges and somehow remember that they have worked out, so why won’t they work out now?
So to re-cap a little…(See below)
When you face a challenge…don’t back down!
Be in the moment of it
Accept the negative thoughts and know that the fear, worry and doubts are normal and it does serve you to protect you.
Cheer up! That challenge is here to teach you something about yourself…learn from this, maybe adapt and change a behaviour or actions you’re taking to help you live an even better life!
Knowledge is key. Learn about your options around this given challenge!
Decide your attitude…you can be in fear or you can see the gift in your challenges
Optimism in the face of derision might help you through
Watch your negative self talk. Be gentle and loving towards yourself during a challenge. Often we might drown out our pain with drugs, alcohol, smoking, food, choose a more positive action to help you through, get your rest, exercise, eat well (healthy) and be good to yourself through times of challenge. You need to be at your best to make it through!
Needed life changes come through challenges. For example if you have a health challenge, maybe it is forcing you to make improvements to your health regimen, or if it is a business challenge or work challenge, maybe you have to change your actions or behaviours to prevent these challenges from happening again…
Know this, that the challenges you face are your greatest teachers…even though they are not the most pleasant thing to face and sometimes it seems relentless…But remember you will make it…you will, I promise!
Make it a great week!
Cheers!
David
BIO:
David is an author, business coach and facilitator and was the former host/producer and creator of the Small Business Big Ideas Show heard weekly for over 9 years. David has taught thousands over the years in both the non-profit and for profit sectors and has coached hundreds of start-ups to make those important first steps. He specializes in helping small business owners mine their strengths, get clear on their value, their markets and then begin to develop a sales and marketing game plan that gets results.
He also can be booked to do his keynote presentations; “The 8 Keys to Success, How I got to Kiss the Stanley Cup and his new keynote called “A breakthrough-through the glass”- how to overcome the fear that life and business might throw your way. He leads workshops in sales, marketing, market research, business plans, target marketing and customer service programs. David currently with the City of Toronto, heading up an entrepreneur training program for inner city youth and adults. He has taught thousands and coached numerous clients in the area of Small Business Start-ups and business growth strategies.