Posted by “Whoever said it’s not whether you win or lose but how you play the game probably never won.” – Arthur Ashe
There was a young couple from Winnipeg, Canada their names are Bernie and Elaine Lobschick. Elaine gives birth to a son, and the couple names him David. By all accounts, David is a beautiful baby boy. Before David’s first birthday Bernie and Elaine noticed that he’s having trouble holding his head up, it seems to hang to the right, they also notice David is drooling excessively.
After a visit to their physician, Bernie and Elaine are informed that little David has cerebral palsy, after numerous visits to specialist after specialist the young couple travels to Chicago Illinois to see another specialist named Dr. Perlstein. Once all the test results are in Perlstein tells them, David has cerebral palsy, the normal prognosis? He will most likely be unable able to walk, or talk, or even count to ten.
Dr. Perlstein doesn’t believe little David’s case is hopeless, if Bernie and Elaine are willing, they will have to exercise great patience and commit to pushing young David to the limit of all endurance then be willing to push him some more.
The young couple transforms their basement into a gym, hires a personal trainer along with a bodybuilder. Sometimes months go by without noticing any progress, but they keep pushing David through the strict regimen over and over. By David’s 13th birthday he can do 1000 push-ups a day, run several miles and even joins the neighborhood hockey team.
David is considered the best table tennis player in Wayne Canada. In the seventh grade at Saint John’s Ravenscourt School in Winnipeg Canada, David is proficient in ninth grade math. As an adult, David Lofchick is rated the number one real estate salesperson, at the top firm in Winnipeg, Canada.
Face your challenges rationally and logically
Bernie and Elaine Lobschick know the odds for positive outcomes are overwhelmingly against them, they approach the challenge of raising David intelligently with a high-quality resolve that doesn’t accept “it can’t be done” for an answer.
“Keep in mind that all breakthroughs are made possible in the very areas conventional wisdom deems impossible” – JSP
I believe most of our challenges are won or lost in the arena of our thoughts and emotions. Changing how you think changes everything. Nancy Wunderlich says, “Instead of letting their emotions dictate their behavior, people with higher levels of Emotional Intelligence use their thinking patterns and behavior to guide their emotions.
There are many benefits of maintaining a high EI – most importantly, its assistance in personal growth. People with high emotional intelligence can better manage and understand their psychological well-being, and because of this are less susceptible to anxiety and depression.” (1)
Changing your thinking will shift the odds for success in your favor
Determine to win, be open to change, and never give up, because winning and losing begins on the inside.
- What is it you believe you can’t do?
Identify and articulate what it is that has you stuck, fix your thoughts on it objectively, and consider ways to meet the challenge without making it personal. When you make challenges personal, they feed your emotions; in this case, negativity will only strengthen your perceived limitations.
- Locate yourself emotionally
We all have emotional triggers, complaining people complain, angry people get angry, defensive people, blame people. Self-discovery is powerful and liberating.
- How does the challenge you’re facing make you feel?
- Are you overwhelmed, fearful, stressed, depressed? Negative emotional states tend to drain your energy. Changing your thoughts will shift your energy
- Can you detect a pattern in this area? Understanding how you perceive, and process challenges will help you uncover the triggers keeping you from seeing the truth as it is thus preventing your breakthrough.
Emotional triggers function like muscle memory. Once you uncover and understand your triggers, you’ll be in a better frame of mind to decide how to address and change your thinking, which is the problem.
- Love yourself through the changes
Just as a change of habits become your new normal over time, so do your new emotional responses. To experience change, something must change. Replacing toxic emotional reactions with healthy emotional responses enhances your ability to think clearly and strategically.
- It’s never acceptable to lose control. Although anger and disappointment are normal and healthy responses, expressing them without restraint is toxic and potentially destructive.
- Emotional responses do not solve problems. Your response to a challenge enhances or hinders your ability to address it successfully, this why successful people incorporate rational and logical self-talk.
“Never give up, and be confident in what you do. There may be tough times, but the difficulties which you face will make you more determined to achieve your objectives and to win against all the odds.” – Marta
(1) “What is Emotional Intelligence and How Can It Help with Your Personal Growth?” By Nancy Wunderlich https://bit.ly/2XPt0xk