I tell all my students, “Perception is everything”. As you grow older, you accrue experiences, some good, and some bad. Many people, unfortunately, dwell on the negative even if the outcome is positive but not to their liking. We all have negatives in our lives; bad relationships, weight gain, financial troubles, death, accidents, etc. The one constant in our lives is that life continues no matter what we do. It does not matter how much money one has or how many friends, life will always have its setbacks. The problem most people have is not the set back itself, but how we handle it.
Let me put it to you this way, it took Thomas Edison 2000 tries before successfully inventing the light bulb. A reporter asked him how it felt to fail so many times. Thomas Edison replied, “I never failed once, It just happened to be a 2000 step process.” How many of us would have continued even after 100 tries. Obviously things weren’t going his way, but he kept a positive outlook, forged ahead and reaped the rewards.
In an excellent article in the March 2007 issue of Ironman Magazine, Skip La Cour writes about his “8 Steps to Getting Back the Confidence You Had During Better Times and Reclaiming Your Power”. Skip really hits the nail on the head with an explanation of what to do when life isn’t going the way you want at any age.
8 Steps that are explained in detail to reclaim your life.
1. Take full responsibility for where you are in your life.
2. Identify exactly what you want for the rest of your life.
3. Carefully examine the events that have led you to where you are today in your life.
4. Take control of your overall health and appearance.
5. Carefully choose the people who surround you.
6. Learn how to deal with other people more effectively.
7. Become an expert at something your passionate about in life.
8. Invest in coaching.
Skip La Cour is an excellent motivator/coach that has devoted his life to helping others reach their potential. This article is a great read especially for those who are feeling like they can’t get back on track. I don’t think the article is available on line any longer.
