It’s September, and yet it feels like it’s 2022. I’m sure you all have felt the effects of the pandemic and the altered daily routines, because it’s unavoidable. We’ve worked from home, watched over our kids as they studied from home, and we’ve had to put on masks and gloves to get our groceries, and in some cases, just to be able to chat with someone without the use of our cellular devices.
‘Tis a crazy world out there thanks to the ‘rona.
Over the last few months and after some reflection now that things are back to a sense of equilibrium, I definitely let myself get down about how things were. I started out 2020 with lots of goals–writing, business, personal, etc–and life sort of just happened. I lost a friend of mine around Valentine’s day, the pandemic began shortly after, my living arrangements shifted, my health was compromised for a bit of time, and then my work situation altered. Where I was February of 2020 and now are two really different scenarios. However, despite the radical life shifts, I could have won it all if I had done one thing.
All of the struggle and all of the pain that I was letting myself feel was because I let it all get to my head. All of it: the virus, my work, the feelings of loss, and the overwhelming sense of “what the heck do I do now that things are so different”. It was all in my head, and all I had to do was get it the heck out.
One of my favorite authors of all time, John C. Maxwell, captures what I’ve come to learn through experience so eloquently:
Within every challenge lies an opportunity.
What he means is not to let discouragement get you down, but instead think of what can happen if you choose to overcome. The virus was a challenge for all of us, yet we chose how we let it define us over the last six months. We can recognize where we have let ourselves down (heck, I am also guilty of this), but we also have a responsibility to ourselves to mind our mindset and choose to see the opportunity and the possibility in the struggle.
The great thing about life is you can start whenever, wherever, and however you so choose. Your past is nothing but the foundation for which you build your tomorrows, so don’t let your past mistakes define you as someone who cannot overcome. Maybe the person you were last week would have thought your “lofty” goals were too high, but today, the person you are has the capacity to overcome.
It’s not a matter of increased skill or talent either. You will have the ability to overcome in all forms of struggle because of your mentality.
So choose to overcome. Choose to shut out the naysayers in your mind, choose to overcome, and choose to conquer what comes your way. After all, all that is holding you back is all in your head, and nothing more.
