Finding Success (a few tools to support you)

We all want to be successful in life to some degree. Some desire it more than others but none of us strive for the opposite of success, which is failure. So in some measure, success is important to each of us. So how do we achieve success? We often attribute success to hard work, talent, having the right plan, knowing the right things or even the right people. And while those qualities can be important, I believe success comes from another place - becoming mentally and emotionally resilient. As I've been creating greater awareness around my thoughts lately I've noticed how often it's the thoughts in my mind that contribute to my success or failure. It's my emotional stability that allows me to handle and even rise above daily pressures and challenges, or the lack thereof that puts me in overwhelm and a downward spiral. If our ability to be mentally and emotionally resilient holds the key to our success, then shouldn't gaining strength in those areas occupy a good amount of our time and effort? When I objectively look at where I spend the bulk of my time it's in figuring out a plan and then doing the work to support that plan. The mental and emotional work gets some of my time and attention, but not enough.  So here are a few ideas for cultivating greater mental and emotional strength during your day:

• Start your day with mindfulness and meditation.

• Journal your emotions and thoughts.

• Notice when you feel triggered and instead of pushing ahead pause for a moment to inquire why - not the surface why, what's the deeper issue?  Get to know your triggers.

• Monitor your thoughts. Become aware of the thoughts that pull you down instead of helping you to rise above, and shift the narrative.

• Breathe deeply.

• Look for solutions. A resilient mind will bounce back searching for a solution instead of accepting the roadblock. When I started to monitor my thoughts I was surprised at how often I'd think along the lines of "this always happens", or "this is how things usually go", which keeps me stuck. I'm learning not to accept this and open my mind to possibilities and new solutions.

Of course there are more, but these are a good place to start. These are things we should be engaging in throughout the day, not once in awhile. Invest in your mental and emotional well-being each day and live into greater success in life. I'm right there with you!