Life can be the most wonderful experience where each day seems to be better than the one before. Everything feels achievable and with enough time and focus I feel like I can accomplish ALL of my goals! But Life can also feel daunting, overwhelming and scary. Everything seems too big, or too complicated to overcome and completing even the most menial daily task can seem like a mountain to cross. How can this be? Both of these mindsets or viewpoints seem to be at the opposite ends of the spectrum. With that in mind, it would be easy to assume that you either buy into one or the other. You are either positive and optimistic or negative and pessimistic, right?! Well that is how I always thought about it. I believed that if you were a “happy” optimist, than you always could look at a situation with the potential up side in mind and avoid any negative thinking. I believed the same for the pessimist as the potential downside being always in mind. The problem with this idea is that over the years I have found myself to be both an optimist & pessimist and sometimes in the same day! This experience may be unique to me, but I doubt it. I believe most people have times in their life when it is easy to see the solutions to problems they are facing and nothing seems to get them down. And still at other times they may find themselves in a situation or circumstance that provides nothing but fear, anxiety and unrest and they can’t do anything but see the negative outcomes. If this is something you have not personally experienced, I’m sure you know someone who has. Well, the good news is, this is just part of being human, facing adversity and challenges and the even better news is there are things you can do RIGHT NOW to change! See, I have gone through many personal struggles over the years including; my best friend passing away 2 weeks before my 21st birthday, getting divorced from a woman I loved, being fired from my dream job, and many financial struggles. During some of these trying times, I would find myself in the cycle of negative thinking often times unable to see anything positive. But what I learned from these experiences has made me a much better person and clarified my understanding of how to get through these struggles. The main lessons I learned include how to deal with my own mindset and what to focus on to turn the experience into a positive stepping stone, instead of a negatively defining life story. Although for me, this learning process took shape in many forms over multiple years, I would like to share with you 5 books that have been hugely impactful to me and I believe can be helpful for anyone else going through their own struggles. Each of these books are valuable and full of actionable information by themselves and I believe that together, the insights and knowledge gained by consuming the information these authors provide can have the power to positively change your life forever!
Please leave a comment below if you have any questions or have books that you like for times like this. Also, you can sign up for My Newsletter here or just fill in your email on the newsletter pop up!
1 Comment
2/5/2023 05:39:42 am
hanks for sharing the article, and more importantly, your personal experience of mindfully using our emotions as data about our inner state and knowing when it’s better to de-escalate by taking a time out are great tools. Appreciate you reading and sharing your story since I can certainly relate and I think others can to
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Author : Jordan ProudfootHere are my thoughts and insights into fitness and wellness to be the best you possible. Archives
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