Most of the time the next chapter of your life builds on the last. However, sometimes the plot twist is so abrupt you feel like you’re all the way back at the beginning. That’s how I felt when the 2009 banking crisis hit. The tidal wave knocked me down but I got up with a new focus and renewed sense of purpose. From the chaos, Thrive Personal Fitness was born. Today, Denise shares her story about the courage to start over. – Pamela
You ever feel like giving up? Me too. Yes. It is true. All of us have thoughts of giving up. Even the strongest people you know. However, it’s those of us with real resilience that enable us to keep going. You may be wondering then if resilience is the answer, how do I become more resilient?
For one, you’ve got it. It is an innate characteristic that we all have. You just need to learn how to call upon it more often and at the right time. It is true when people say what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. The true test is being on the brink of what you think is the end of your world and being able to pull up your boot straps and get through it.
Let me share an example. A story that is really relevant with the recent affects of Harvey, Irma, and it coming up on the five year anniversary of Super Storm Sandy. At the time of Sandy, I lived in Belford, New Jersey, a small beach community not far from Sandy Hook (A National State Park – at the Jersey Shore). I had a lovely five bedroom, 4 bathroom home with a built in pool in the back and all the wonderful and expensive material things someone like me working a big time job in Manhattan could have, including two luxury cars that I parked in my expansive driveway.
Well, in short, in comes Sandy and washes it all away. The house. The cars. The stuff. All the stuff. My husband and I, and our little dog were homeless. I thought it was the end of the world. It certainly felt like the bottom or worse. Day by day it got easier and day by day things were put into perspective for me.
I learned a lot about myself, what I really wanted in life and where I wanted to be. I knew the material stuff no longer mattered.
In fact, I did not want the big house in the suburbs anymore and was not sure I even wanted the big corporate job in NYC anymore. Shortly after I rebuilt, I moved to Atlanta and took what I call a two-year sabbatical from who I thought I really was. It gave me time to put things further into perspective and build a life I loved and become the person I wanted to be. Today, I live in South Carolina and I run my own Health Coaching business. I still do some marketing and PR, but I live my passion by helping others realize their dreams through wellness. Resilience was there with me the entire time. It was the Angel on my shoulder.
I tell you that story not to make you sad, but to give you hope and show you a real example of what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. This kind of resilience can and should be applied to your fitness journey too. Like the water of Sandy entered my home uninvited so will people and challenges come to keep you from achieving your fitness goals. It is at these worst of times, where you feel most challenged, and when you will have to dig your deepest into your soul and come back out with strength and confidence. You must believe in yourself.
5 Steps To Create Passion And Be Resilient
- Surround yourself with like-minded individuals. I also call this drowning out the haters. This doesn’t mean ditching friends if they don’t want to eat well or workout, you can keep them in your life, but make sure they believe in you, your goals and are supportive of them, and not giving off negative energy, which is the greatest killer of passion.
- Keep your eye on the prize, think long term and not short term. For example, the short-term satisfaction you may get from eating a cookie will never amount to the long-term satisfaction of fitting in a smaller size dress. Train yourself to think like this and you will build the resilience you need to stay the course on your fitness journey.
- Set your daily intention and always tell yourself three positive thoughts to start your day. With intention and a positive mindset, you will have both passion and resilience to help you through your day.
- Journal your thoughts so you know when you are faced with the toughest times. Write down how you handled those situations. What did you do well, what could you have done better? Writing these moments down and being able to look back and reflect on them is the best way to set yourself up for success in the future.
- Reward yourself even for the little accomplishments. This never should be in the form of food. What about that great handbag or shoes you always wanted?
You’ve got this. Now get on your “Journey to Wellness” and never give in, never give up and always believe in yourself.
