Tag Archives: #resilience

Spirituality

Peak Performance

Some coaches goad their players by telling them “they want 110% effort.” This is ridiculous. We can only give 100%. Better coaches would encourage us to “leave everything on the field.” In other words, give it everything you have.

In order to be at your optimum, you must do the prep work. Eat right, rest, stimulate your mind and throw in some exercise on a regular basis. By doing these things consistently, you put yourself in position to succeed. This applies in sports as well as daily life. You won’t be your best if you are running on an empty tank.

Of course, sometimes things don’t go our way. When we are mentally right we adapt, we adjust. We realize today wasn’t our day, but we live to fight on.

Each day will present its own set of new challenges. Look forward to them. You must push yourself harder on some days than others. If you are operating at peak strength, you put the odds in your favor…

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Spirituality

Make or Break

Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in prison for opposing South Africa’s apartheid government. He was labeled as a domestic terrorist. In 1994, Mandela became South Africa’s first black president. In his autobiography, Mandela said “prison didn’t break him. Confinement strengthened his resolve.”

Life is going to throw some real shit our way. In those moments we have a choice. We can use them to grow us or they can destroy us. Resilience is built during the dark times, not when things are easy. We find our inner strength when we are tested.

All of life is an unknown. We think we know how each day will turn out, and most of the time we are right. Then something unexpected happens. When this happens I encourage you to face it. Face it until you make it. Ask for guidance from above and hold on to hope.

And remember, you have made it through every dark moment you have faced in the past. Keep going, no matter what…

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Spirituality

Strength Through Pain

Are you experiencing a difficult time in your life? If not now, the odds are that you will sometime in the future. I want to encourage you to flip the script on it when it happens.

Life can be very hard sometimes. God didn’t promise us an easy path. But He did give us a way through. Translation: rely more on God and less on ourselves during the dark times.

Resilience is built in the darkness. We learn that we can bounce back from the troughs of life. Our pain turns into strength. We might not like it at the time, but it can be used for good.

No matter how much social media wants us to believe that everyone has a perfect life, we know the truth. See pain as opportunity. Don’t dread it. Welcome it because better days are ahead…

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Spirituality

Curves

Farm-to-Market Road 1431 connects north Austin to a small town called Marble Falls. The drive is beautiful, filled with hills, curves and a lot of greenery. It’s hard to keep your eyes on the road because it’s so pretty.

Life itself has its own share of curves. Much of life can be routine, boring even, Then you have a curveball thrown at you. Something out of the ordinary disrupts your flow, sometimes causing great stress. We must be able to hit the curveballs, too.

My encouragement to you is to expect the unexpected. Don’t fear or dread the disruptions. Welcome them. See difficulties as opportunities to grow and learn.

Life on this side of eternity is going to have challenges. When you are going through a dark time, always remember that resilience is built in the hard times, not when things are easy. Just keep going no matter what happens…

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#inspiration, #spirituality

Sensitivities

Life is tough. Some of the challenges people face can feel overwhelming at times. I know people who have been affected by cancer, the murder of a child, rape, incest, suicide and more. The reason they are still standing is because they developed resilience earlier in their lives. Weak people crumble like an origami.

Resilience can be built, even in adulthood. You face your challenges head on, refusing to back down until you have come out on the other side. When you are going through hell, you keep going.

Tough times don’t last, but tough people do…

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#inspiration, #spirituality

If I Had A Superpower

When I was a child, I loved Superman comic books. I thought, how cool it would be to fly, have x-ray vision, and to be faster than a speeding bullet. Let’s not forget that Superman was built like a bodybuilder and he got all the girls!

Humans don’t get to have superpowers, but if we did, I would want mine to be the ability to take away people’s pain. It troubles me when I see people struggle or in deep pain and despair.

Fortunately, I don’t have that superpower. Pain is a tool which can bring growth and resilience. If I could take away pain, I would be denying others the ability to grow through the pain and become who they are.

Pain is part of everyone’s life. Don’t waste it by wishing it away. By getting through it, fighting through it, you are being prepared for something greater.

Keep going…

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#inspiration

Lean In

Some of our greatest achievements were born in the darkest of times. If we press on and refuse to give up, we will emerge on the other side of the battle. It will not be easy, and it may feel like this period will never end, but your confidence and resilience will grow exponentially.

Lean into whatever makes you uncomfortable. Face the darkness in your life. Stare the devil down and let him know you serve a greater master. State your victory out loud and declare it in the name above all names- Jesus Christ. His name will make the demons shudder…

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#inspiration

Obstacles

Life is going to present us with challenges. Some might be as simple as running late due to an accident on the freeway, while others might be life-altering. We are going to be tested.

How we handle life’s obstacles depends upon our attitude. If we have the mindset of going through the challenges no matter how hard, we build resilience and are eventually on the other side of it. Should we decide it’s too hard, we will cave. But it really is up to us.

And our biggest obstacle lies between our ears, not in the challenge itself…

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#inspiration

Storms

We are in the middle of thunderstorm season. I love those storms. But what about the storms of life? Those seem to be in season all the time.

We live in an imperfect world. Stuff will happen that we cannot anticipate. Our attitude in facing the storm will determine our outcome. We must remember that God is in control, we aren’t. He doesn’t cause bad things to happen to us or our loved ones, but He does allow them.

When we think about how great God is, and we realize there is absolutely nothing He can’t do, we find peace. God will see us through whatever we are dealing with. Put your focus on Him and not the storm. Then we will see His hand in our lives. You can’t miss it…

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#inspiration

Go Through

All of us have challenges in our lives. Some pass quickly, while some are longer term. What do we do when faced with obstacles?

We might be tempted to avoid facing the challenges of life. We can numb them out with alcohol or drugs, put them off until tomorrow, or we can work through them.

Going through difficult periods is rarely easy or quick. We learn from them, though, when we face them and go through them. The trials of life might last a few days, but they might go on for years.

Whatever you are facing, I encourage you to not give up. You will find victory over your challenges, but you find it through perseverance and determination. Just keep going…

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