“Will anything I do ever prosper?” If you have ever questioned yourself like this or thought anything similar, you are not alone. At this point in the game of life, your every action has a reaction. Yes, I just somewhat referenced Newton’s Third Law. Unlike our younger years, life seems to be pushing back now; things simply don’t come easily or without consequence anymore. That’s to be expected when you’re growing up, since you are no longer supposed to expect handouts or dozens of chances. No matter which aspect it is, life requires work. Naturally, failures or shortcomings happen, but there are times when it all gets to be too much. Sometimes our efforts just don’t seem to cut it.
It can be difficult to digest a streak of C’s in that one class or seeing/feeling the plateau in your weight loss journey. There’s nothing that compares to the disappointment that comes with knowing the results aren’t correlating with what you’re putting forth. Your spirits are crushed, your hope has diminished, and all confidence in your abilities slips away.
“I can’t.” This phrase only adds fuel to the fire that’s already ablaze. I know that it will sound funky, but we have to allow ourselves to fail. There’s a fine line between accepting when you have failed and expecting yourself to fail. The time frame between the two are distinct; when it’s already done, it’s out of your hands. I am not, by any means, encouraging you to become comfortable with your flops. I won’t be cliché and say that everything happens for a reason (although it totally does), but the very setback that you are stressing over is the one that will contribute to your success. When your plans are rerouted and you have no choice, the focus is on what is ahead not what has gone “wrong.” Maybe it’s wrong as far as you could see, but it’s right for the direction that your life is headed in. A lot of the situations placed in our path are more about outlook than outcome.
Remember to seek peace and understanding, whether you are spiritual or not, it’s important to keep your load light. Burdens can be quite heavy when you bear them alone so find comfort in the encouragement you receive from other people or things. Nine times out of ten, the people that are uplifting you are doing it because they legitimately believe in better days. We all need somebody to hold us accountable now and then, the kind that are on standby and ready to intervene when needed.
Get off of the Emotional Rollercoaster. I repeat, get off of the Emotional Rollercoaster. It’s okay to sulk for a while, whine a little, and maybe have a small tantrum as long as you bounce back in a timely fashion. No one expects you to be graceful and hold it together 24/7, 365 days a year. In fact, that is nearly impossible. Similar to the fact that succeeding and exceeding won’t happen every single time you try. Our entire lives are unpredictable. Whatever your version of failure may be, is probably going to happen again, if it hasn’t happened already. That’s okay. Take the reigns of the things that you can steer and learn and grow from the rest.
No one is exempt from stumbling. I have to tell myself that the people with great success had a journey there. Meaning that at one point or another, the women that I admire most for their accomplishments once fell down too. If you don’t remember anything else about this article, know and remember this: You are not defined by your achievements, or lack thereof and you can not be defeated without your own permission.
Trust me on this–even Beyonce agrees.
HCXO!