Finding Light in the Dark

Motivation! It’s essential for success in virtually any area our lives.   Business, careers, relationships, whatever the goal we need motivation to get us through the effort required.  Often we begin our journeys with plenty of motivation, drive, ambition.  Of course it’s much easier when you’re all excited about an adventure to get motivated to do what you have to do.  But what happens when things get difficult?  What happens when we run into hurdles or challenges either seen or unforeseen?

Coaches, motivational speakers, tapes, books, all urge us to focus on the positive, to put out positive vibes, to keep the negative thoughts at bay and keep our eyes on our goals and dreams.  Excellent advice.  But how easy is it to do? Of course when things are going well it’s easy.  Even when things aren’t necessarily soaring along but still you’re doing well, then you can find the positive and redirect your goals and off you go.

The challenge is when everything is going wrong.  When there seems to be no good news in your endeavor, that is when it is the most difficult to get motivated, to stay positive.  When all around you is not going your way, that’s the time that it becomes the most challenging to focus on the unseen future, the goal, the dream, the positive.  And yet, that is the time when it’s most important.

So how do you do it?  How do you find that spark, that light when all around you is dark?

One answer is physiological.  MOVE!  Change your physiology.  It’s why exercise feels so good.  Get your blood going.  Get up, go for a walk/run/jog whatever.  Move around the house.  Try this:  Stand up, right now where ever you are.  Stand up, tall and straight, shoulders back, deep breath in.  Now, look up at the ceiling and put a huge silly goofy smile on your face.  Even if you can’t think of something to smile about just grin.  Big old Cheshire cat like grin.  Now, without changing your posture or that silly grin on your face….. get depressed.  Go on… do it… what do you mean you can’t?  hmmmmmm. . .

Another thing you can do if you can’t get out and move are things like taking ten Deep, slow, long breaths, holding them in for fifteen or so seconds before letting them out slowly.  Try it, change your physiology when you’re feeling down you’ll be amazed at what a little movement can do and who knows, you might just get your Journey moving in a better direction at the same time.