The Day Your Journey Changes for the Better

It may seem strange to be talking about failure so early into a new year – yet is it? No matter how ‘new’ the year feels, we may already be dealing with things that have not gone as planned. Some of those things may have us thinking we are a big ,fat, failure. They may have us doubting our ability to do anything right. They may already have us wondering if we have dreamed too big, asked too much of ourselves, or if we are even worthy of the things we want. That is why I created this piece with these words:

FAILURE is not necessarily at the end of the road. 
Many times it is the beginning of a new, and exciting trip. 
                                                                             - Zig Ziglar 2012

As I write this, I am taking a very deep, cleansing breathe as this post is as much for me as it is for you. Like all of us, I have faced some big disappointments and failures in my past, ones which often nip at my heels when I am moving and grooving. Just when things are progressing forward, those little suckers – through our own thoughts or the comments of others – remind us that we failed and how dare we think we can do something better this next time. Believe it or not this is normal, sad but true. It is how we have trained ourselves to think about ourselves, it is human nature. It is easier to believe the bad parts, the failures, to remember the things that went wrong THAN to encourage, speak about joy, and think about the beautiful things we have and will build in our future.

So, let’s retrain our brains to BELIEVE the good stuff rather than the bad stuff. Let’s reprogram our minds to choose to listen to the good rather those little, nagging suckers that kill our enthusiasm. And let’s have the courage to dare to believe that what we want, how we are working, and who we have chosen to be is MORE THAN ENOUGH! It is time to put on our boxing gloves and fight back. It is time to go to war with our past and put it in it’s place…which is behind us of course!

When that nagging thought of regret or doubt creeps into your consciousness or makes you feel bad about yourself, say something out loud that reminds you that you are worth the effort…

“I am strong, able and important!”

Don’t believe it? then say it again…out loud, louder, even repeat it over and over until that negative tumbleweed rolls away. This is war! Be willing to fight for what you want which is to feel better about yourself and put your failures into perspective. Maybe something like…

“I am worthy of the best results from my hard work!”

It is time to stop letting our emotions rule the day. It is time for our actions to squash the past, for us to put into the action the courage we need to change our lives and the way we think. AND, it is time we actually believe that despite how we have lived in the past, we are important and able to build a better future. Failure is not the end, it is the first step in a new and exciting journey! So let’s spend more time thinking and focusing on our new journey than reliving the past.

You can do it, I know you can. Put on your biggest, roughest mental toughness and step right on those nagging thoughts of pain and doubt. Tell them to go away, and work hard! Your journey forward is waiting for the best you can give, so start speaking it and believing it! Dare to believe that TODAY is the day your journey changes for the better.