When The Going Gets Tough

How do you deal when hard times come a knockin’? Do you throw your hands up in defeat or do you reach deep down and find the strength to carry on? Do you belittle yourself into an out of control spin or do you use words of affirmation and pull yourself up by the bootstraps? I have been realizing, of late, that I am struggling with motivation. I think the move did me in and I’m still recuperating from the physical battles I had to overcome with packing and unpacking a home. My body has been aching more and my residual limb, well, let’s just say we are trying to come to terms with what I want to do and what it is capable of doing. I have pushing myself to get out the door and put my walks and exercise time in, only to find that my physical game is struggling, which then plays into my mental game. This past weekend I went for a long walk with my husband, only to find that my limb really didn’t have it in it to walk as long as I wanted to… but I pushed myself and my mind won. However, that wasn’t the only win that day. I walked the longest I had walked in my new socket- 2 miles, but I also pushed myself into an opportunity to see where my mental fortitude lay. This is how this podcast came about. I realized how much I talk to myself in the “heat of the battle”. My mind was speaking to my heart and my leg. I then asked myself why I go through this pain and hurt. What was I getting out of doing this to myself? I learned a lot about myself as I walked in the 98 degree Arizona summer sun, pushing myself to go farther, to not turn around, and not to give up. I find that this is beneficial for me to see what I am made of, to work out the kinks in my prosthesis, and build my character and create positive moments in my life. Is it easy? Was it easy? Absolutely NOT! But as the saying goes, nothing worth earning comes from “easy”. We benefit more from a situation that is hard to get through because when we rise out on the other side we claim victory, and this is great for self motivation and helps us deal with the next hard moment, which is sure to come. This was a moment of finding out what I was made of. A 10K race just 1 year after amputation. The question is, how are you handling those tough moments? Do you want to do better? Feel better? Look better? Then it comes down to your mindset and the way you talk to yourself. Positive self-talk is so important. We tell our kids to not put themselves down, when they screw up, but are we beating ourselves up when we fall short? It’s easy to say this to people when you realize what they are doing to themselves, but to practice what you preach can be tough and a hard pill to swallow. I realized the day after I did this walk that I had a really hard time with the pain and my usual exercise, and I started to get angry with myself, using negative words and being frustrated…. so easy to fall into that pattern. I saw that I was doing exactly what I said NOT to do and instantly changed my inner voice to a positive tone. Did it make it easier to finish, not necessarily, but I was better for it, and learned a lot about myself that day. I know that I can be physically strong but mentally weak and will struggle. These two go hand in hand. It’s time to change how you treat yourself and how you talk to yourself. Listen in to this week’s podcast to hear how that day went for me, as I recorded in the midst of that moment. It’s raw emotion and the reality of that struggle and hear what you can do to help yourself the next time doubt and fear creep in to your mind. This week I want you to really listen to your inner voice. Are you speaking negatively to yourself? Putting yourself down and beating yourself up? Be honest. Nothing good will come from lying to yourself or being in denial. Listen to your mind when you realize you’re battling something. What do you hear? More than likely you are negative. It’s really common to do that. We hate making mistakes, and sometimes we feel unworthy of where we are. Stop! Give yourself grace to fall, talk kindly to yourself and pick yourself back up. This week practice positive self-talk. It’s time to ramp up your mental game so you can go out with confidence into this world and kick butt. There is no room for negativity. Love yourself for where you are now, set goals to where you want to be, and speak kindly and positively. You just might find yourself reach those goals quicker than you imagined you ever could. You can do this! Believe in yourself, I do! And as always, Be Healthy, Be Happy, Be YOU!!!! (You deserve that!) Much love, Angie Attitude is Everything