LOOKING AT CHALLENGES

“Many times we are defeated inside our own heads before we even get started.”

Jeff Johnson March 2008

The story is not original when we speak of the 90 pound weakling getting sand kicked in his face from the beach bully. The 90 pound weakling starts a super conditioning program (all without steroids of course) and becomes this super strong man. Then the showdown with the beach bully is immanent. The once picked on 90 pound weakling approaches the bully and draws a line in the sand daring him to cross it—a challenge is created.

Life brings us challenges. Not all challenges are bad, some are positive, but require us to push beyond reasonable limits. But to often we draw headlines—the same lines that are carved in the sand only mentally placed. Some common 'Headlines' are: "It is to hard," I am not __________(you fill in the blank i.e. tall enough, smart enough, pretty enough, just not enough etc.), and my favorite--I just can't do it." When we make the headlines our human nature shuts us down and we stop. In other words, the fight is over, the game reads 'tilt,' and we lose our quarter. Conversely, when things are going well or when we reach a major goal--we stop with, "I have gone as far as I can go." We create our own internal battle before the fight. Now we face the life challenge and our own challenge--two against one.

We are wired by millions of years of evolution in development to overcome challenges. In the face of death, in the heart of war, through the most perilous times imaginable---we are designed to OVERCOME! Looking at challenges causes us to place a value on our inner and outer strengths as WE perceive them in a given moment. However, The most significant factors in overcoming challenges are identifying the fear we have with the challenge, developing a sense of control over the feared environment mentally, and envisioning alternatives to the anticipated negative outcomes. Instead of looking at the challenge as a welcome mat to fear--why not look at the challenge as a doorway to a new hope, a new dream to obtain, a new path that may lead others to avoid, or to follow out of their fear in a similar situation, or to grow stronger. Instead of stopping at the top of a mountain--why not seek a bigger mountain to climb?

Life has presented us challenges in the past and we have defeated them. Our previous experiences with success are tools to use to sharpen the weapons we need now. STEP FORWARD FORWARD STEPPERS--sharpen your weapons necessary to defeat the present challenge---forgetting the headlines. Besides, headlines are just as soft as the lines in the sand--one small wave and it is just sand.

I believe in you because YOU ARE WORTH IT,

Jeff