If you have a positive attitude and constantly strive to give your best effort, eventually you will overcome your immediate problems and find you are ready for greater challenges.
Every single one of us has had prior chapters in life that were daunting. Moments that loomed over us with presence so large as to obliterate the sun. The light was gone, and all that remained was an overwhelming darkness and fear that appeared to be the end all moment.
But, if you are here receiving this thought, you have surpassed that moment and emerged back into the light.
The self confidence, optimism, faith, determination, perseverance, and positive attitude that was conjured in that moment is your single greatest asset in life. The unflinching persona deep within that looked at all of that darkness and comforted your terrified inner child that this too shall pass.
That asset appreciates in value every single time you prevail. It twists and turns and writhes and squirms until it finds your solution, dragging you (perhaps kicking and screaming) into your next chapter in life. As it does, it evolves, gains new strength, more passion, deeper determination and enables your ascent into ever greater, more challenging territory.
Regardless of the components of the experience, be it emotional, physical, mental, situational…. You find the strength and you prevail. It is just the way of life.
How exactly does this happen?
Depending upon the circumstances in which your situation arises, your solutions will always be different. But the process of arriving at those solutions is almost always the same.
It starts with a recognition that the sun is going to rise tomorrow and the next day….. so nothing in the physical world is going to solve itself without your effort. With the elimination of the act of God stepping in to auto save you from your experience, you are left with only your own resources to leverage. In many cases, these are not looking sufficient at the moment that you are in your deepest fear, but in truth, they are.
Eventually you come to the realization that unless you act, nothing is changing. That act is a mental moment of truth. The acceptance of how much discomfort you are currently feeling paired with an intense desire to prevail and emerge from this moment as fast as is possible.
From that moment of internal truth and realization comes the first glimmer of light. Internally you see a first step that is possible. That becomes the launching pad for your internal being to set a course of fortitude and determination. So you inch towards that glimmer of light. Sometimes you are going in the right direction, other times, not so. As quickly as you move towards that solution, you begin to either see a bit more light, or the darkness closes back in and you must find another direction in which to move.
Eventually you find that core truth, the one that enables you to gain ground in the direction of the light and you push forward again. With each and every step in this process, the will and determination are the fuel. The passion and focus are the driving force.
You find evidence in short order that reinforces to you that you are making the proper choice, and you leverage that to your psychological benefit and cherish it for the proof that you are doing something right. With that evidence, your internal being gains further momentum, knowing that your progress is becoming more certain, and that turns into the evolution that allows you to turn the corner and emerge from the darkness. The rest becomes step and repeat until that chapter is behind you. At the end, you are left with a life experience that reinforces these beliefs within you, and those become the foundation for your ability to emerge from the next chapter of darkness you find yourself within.
Pat Riley is a ten-time NBA champion across his tenures as a player (1972), assistant coach (1980), head coach (1982, 1985, 1987, 1988, 2006), and executive (2006, 2012, 2013). His period as Head Coach of the Los Angeles Lakers gave me some of the greatest moments of exhilaration and joy of my entire life.
Happy Tuesday!
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