If At First You Don't Succeed...

You all know that saying: “If At First You Don’t Succeed…Try, Try Again. Are you incorporating that into you life? Do you stretch beyond the limits of your comfort zone by doing something new or different? Is the outcome always what you thought it should be?

Honestly, probably not…but that’s ok! You learn by doing, especially when it pertains to something outside of what you normally know or do. Life is filled with new experiences that you can learn from. This is how you travel along your journey of personal growth.

The Voice of the Gremlin

Anytime you come up against a new experience, embrace it and step into it. I know that fear and uncertainty can show up. That little gremlin in your head starts whispering words of caution. It will tell you things like:
• You’re not good enough
• You’ve NEVER tried anything like this before, what makes you think you could make this work?
• What if people laugh at you?
• What if you “fail?” What if you make “mistakes?”

Sounds familiar? Everyone has moments of doubt when faced with unknown circumstances. It’s impossible to predicate or plan every step in your life because life is free-flowing. The one constant in life is that life is NOT constant! It can and will change without a moment’s notice.

Let’s bust up some of those statements:
• You ARE a unique and special individual who is good enough. You were born to create.
• You learned how to do all the things you do now through trial & error. This is no different.
• Go ahead and laugh at yourself when things get a bit screwy! Life shouldn’t be so serious that you can’t laugh at yourself.
• Mistakes and failures are nothing more than learning experiences. Trial and error situations. Learn from the experiences and they are NOT failures or mistakes!

Keeping Your Emotional Balance

So how can you keep your emotional balance and continue creating successful outcomes in your life? As Dory says in Finding Nemo, “Keep on swimming, Keep on swimming, just keep on swimming.”

Really, that’s the main component! Keep moving forward. Don’t allow that gremlin’s voice to stop you. Remember, that little voice is actually YOU. And guess what?! YOU have the power of choice within you. YOU choose whether you stop and give up or continue through all the valleys and hills of your journey.

That’s right, throw out all the excuses, all the “what if’s,” all the “I don’t know’s.” No one ever accomplished anything unless they were willing to step into the unknown and face it head-on. You wouldn’t be where you are today without taking chances. A baby doesn’t give up the first time he/she tries to walk & falls. So what’s your excuse!

Alright, I understand that as an adult, many times it’s good to have some ideas to help bolster your inner power. Here are some key elements to remember:
• When you feel stressed, do deep breathing exercises.
• Remember what F.E.A.R. stands for.
• Fill your Inner Circle of Influence with people who support, encourage and guide you along the way.
• Start a Gratitude journal. Write down all the things you already HAVE that you are grateful for.
• Refer to the previous list in this post. ï
And above all…smile and laugh at yourself and at life. Focus on positive thoughts. Be gentle with yourself. If at first you don’t succeed…try, try again! Come on, I know you can do it! Show us what you got!

“Success is how high you bounce when you hit bottom”
George Smith Patton