I am at the end of my _____. I’m ready to throw in the ________. I’m ready to resign from the whole human _____. I’m at my wits’ _______. Everything feels like an uphill _________.
If you are feeling like things are an uphill battle, you realize we are in a battle. Being in a battle, gives each of us choices.
With depression, suicide, sadness, despondence, and desperation increasing, it’s all-out war for warriors like you and me!
By our actions, we can choose whether we will be a survivor or a casualty. Our actions will determine whether we are a victor or a victim.
For each of us, the identify of our opponent or opponents, may differ. Some may be battling the virus, others are battling masks, politics, isolation, the opinions of others, all of the above, or something else entirely.
Whatever battle(s) you are in, the primary opponent, the one that will determine whether you are successful or not, is the battle within. The difference maker, the component that determines whether you get out of bed and fight for another day or stay in bed and begin the process of withering away, is your attitude.
Your attitude is the little voice inside your head that is constantly talking to you. Do you realize you have more conversations with yourself than anyone else? Are you aware of what you are saying to yourself? If you’re not paying attention to the conversation, you cannot win.
You must be the gatekeeper of your mind. You must pay attention to what you are listening to. Imagine for a moment, a soldier in the middle of war zone. What do you think the effect would be on him, if every morning, he awoke to news reports of how many more soldiers died yesterday? Do you think he would be motivated to go out and make a difference? Do you think he would be encouraged to continue? Of course not.
What kind of effect is listening to daily updates on positive tests, hospitalizations, and athletes testing positive having on you? If you think it’s not affecting you, you’re not paying attention to the conversations you are having with yourself.
I experienced this problem myself last week. I began to notice that I was being short with individuals. Little things I normally wouldn’t think about started to bother me. I found myself being frustrated.
It was only after I took time to step back and reflect on what was going on, I realized I was internalizing my frustrations with all the effects of the virus. The limitations of what we can do, where we can go, and how close we can be to others, was beginning to take a toll on my mental health.
I was able to identify the cause was due to my regular updates on the pandemic. As a leader of an organization, I felt I needed to stay apprised of the constant changes in requirements for businesses. This prevented me from watching what I was allowing to enter my thought process. I quickly moved to avoiding updates, participating in debates associated with the pandemic, and completely avoiding anyone that wants to talk politics! I know if things get to where I need to know about them, someone will tell me.
Just like a soldier in a war zone doesn’t need to hear about what’s going on in a different battlefield, we must keep our minds and thoughts where we are at.
With the realization we are all in a battle, battling from different locations, in different time zones, with different obstacles, and sometimes different opponents, how can we win?
We must ensure our victorious attitude wins out over our victim attitude. There is a story of an old man explaining life to a young lad. He shares within us are two wolves. A good wolf and a bad wolf. They constantly fight. The young lad asked which one wins? The old man replied, the one you feed the most.
In order for your victorious attitude to win, you must feed it good thoughts. You must block out as much negativity as possible. You must read good books, listen to positive CDs and podcasts. Watch positive TED Talks and YouTube videos.
The key is to make sure you are feeding your victorious attitude! Attitudes are contagious. As a warrior, I implore you to build up your victorious attitude. Share it with others. Surround yourself with like-minded individuals.
You will know your victorious attitude is winning when you feel energized and upbeat instead of tired and worn out. You’ll know you are winning when you are hopeful instead of hopeless. Victory is on the way when you replace fear with faith. You’ll know you are winning when you have belief instead of doubt.
Remember, there is greatness within you. You must choose greatness. It won’t develop on its own. I believe in you!
“As the gatekeeper of your thoughts, you must be mindful of your thinking.”
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Published by Bryan M. Balch, Results Coach
Helping Individuals and Businesses Achieve Desired Results