How do you process and respond to life’s setbacks?
Ralph Waldo Emerson once shared “The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.”
In our life’s journey, day-to-day responsibilities, setbacks, and challenges that visit us all too often (especially in this past year), it can be easy to occasionally, or frequently, fall into the belief that we do not have the power to decide what we want to achieve in life, what we want to make of ourselves, what we want to be, become.
It is easy to feel that our dreams, our life purpose, are simply not meant to be, unattainable, not meant to be achieved, nor fulfilled.
But the setbacks and challenges we face are not meant to physically set us back. They are only intended for us to take a pause, reflect, learn… then continue our journey. When we have setbacks, we are getting feedback… it is not supposed to stop us in our tracks, indefinitely, or permanently.
In Steve Jobs’ 2005 Stanford Commencement Address, he shared “Pursue your dreams and see the opportunities in life’s setbacks.” Mr. Jobs also noted “to be successful, you need to learn to positively thrive on them,” them meaning the setbacks.”
When times are hard, when we allow setbacks and limiting beliefs to occupy our mind and our thoughts for too long, we generate resistance and then stop becoming who we are meant to be. We sabotage ourselves.
We get stuck, discouraged, and simply stop.
If you know Jamie Kern Lima’s story, she recently released her first book Believe It about her life story which also made the New York Times Best Seller list. When you read Ms. Kern Lima’s book, which I recommend, you will see her life was filled with big endless setbacks from early on and up until recently. But with each set back, Ms. Kern Lima took a pause, processed the feedback, then continued her journey. Her journey was hard and often challenging, but her thoughts always led her forward. She never wavered and always knew she was on the right path—pursuing what she was meant to pursue, who she was meant to become, the impact she was meant to create.
Ms. Kern Lima had a vision, clarity and a deep knowing; and her thoughts most of the time kept leading her forward. She never let resistance or limiting beliefs sneak in, at least not long enough to deter or stop her for too long. In Ms. Kern Lima’s new book Believe It, here is just one of her many powerful quotes “Imagine overcoming the things holding you back, breaking through the barrier of self-doubt and fully becoming the person YOU were BORN TO BE.”
We all have the power to create the life we want to create. It is not always an easy path, but we are also not meant to give up. If you look back to the many whom we are familiar with, who achieved immense success and created big impact such as Mr. Steve Jobs, Ms. Sara Blakely, Ms. Oprah Winfrey and many others─ were their journeys easy?
They were not.
Mr. Brian Tracy once said “You become what you think about most of the time.” And Mr. Tracy has many quotes worth viewing.
Our thoughts are powerful… they drive our actions, how we choose to proceed and act.
What do you think about most often? Are your thoughts mostly limiting beliefs, various forms of resistance? Or are your thoughts mostly visualizing and executing on the path to becoming who you want to become—who you are meant to become?
In Mr. Tracy’s book, The New Psychology of Achievement, he also shares “The person you see is the person you will be.”
What do you see? What thoughts do you believe? How will you go forward? How will you choose to proceed and act?
You are the director of your life. You choose the thoughts you want to create, believe, and live by each day.
You have the power. YOU get to decide.
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Thank you for the read! My name is Heidi Bateh Carlson.
I am the Founder of a Health and Wellness Marketing firm, Carlson Marketing Group.
In addition to running my business, I enjoy publishing inspirational growth content. I am passionate about helping people live healthy and well and live the life they were meant to live. I am not a personal growth expert, but a marketing expert.
At Carlson Marketing Group, our mission is to serve businesses that help people become and stay healthy and well.
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