Grit & Perseverance
Lately I have been drawn to watching documentaries about individuals who have endured unimaginable struggles and challenges, but overcame them. There is something truly intriguing about the human potential and the limits that we push past. So often we hear of stories where people were put into situations that were almost impossible to turn around, and then somehow they defy the odds and succeed.
Whether it is a medical diagnosis, death-defying accident or unfortunate life circumstance, we see these people who have true grit to push through and prove everyone wrong. I have so much admiration for these individuals because their stories are breathtaking. When you hear these stories, you begin to understand how mentally strong they are. Their bodies might be weak and hurt, but their mental strength is resilient.
“Defy the odds.”
So often I see people with strong, able bodies with weak and damaged mental strength. This contrast plays out in their lives and it becomes debilitating. I have been in that place and I understand how painful it is to lack that mental clarity and strength. Society has taught us that it is easier to play it safe than to take risks. Everyone will try to put you into a box and tell you that you can’t escape that box. When we are given an answer, so many of us nod our heads in agreement that this answer is final and set in stone.
The individuals who rise up against these challenges have the mental clarity to question and defy the circumstance that they have been put into. They know how powerful the mind is and the effect that this strength has on everything else in their lives. The recent documentaries that I have watched have been about athletes who have experienced traumatic injuries where the diagnosis looks bleak for their ability to ever have a normal functioning body ever again. Throughout their journeys, they use their mental strength and laser sharp focus to heal their bodies.
Of course these individuals weren’t exempt from feeling depressive and painful emotions, but how they chose to act on those emotions was the ultimate test. They could have allowed those feelings to swallow them whole and dictate the rest of their lives. Instead, they took those emotions for what they were and moved past them. They accepted their circumstances, but also instilled hope in themselves that they would do everything in their power to keep pushing forward towards their goals.
This led me to think about how our emotions affect our bodies and lives. It’s almost like a snowball effect; if we give our attention to certain emotions, those emotions then affect our bodies which in turn creates ripples in our day-to-day lives. If we take the time to lean into those strong and positive emotions, we can heal our bodies and begin to look at life through a more productive lens. The more in control we feel with ourselves, then the more in control we will feel with our lives. My 2019 soul goal is to feel more in control of my inner world and to take the risks that will bring me joy, even if others tell me that it is impossible. You get to decide what is possible and what is impossible, not the people around you.