We all stumble, trip, or fall at certain points in life. Many people bounce back right away, but some grow depressed, angry, or have difficult times finding their way out of the hole altogether. No matter how many falls one makes, each one teaches a lesson. How well we learn those lessons determines how well we can bounce back. Not only does it measure our resilience, it ultimately serves as an integral part of our unique character.
“What defines us is how well we rise after falling.” – Unknown
Now is the time to turn the corner on conquest. It is your time to rise.
Here are 5 ways to help you create a better bounce back in life:
1. “Just say no” to no
Sometimes, you may find yourself in an experience where you just don’t feel right. When you’re experiencing this, don’t be afraid to say no. This “no” can be delivered to the physical experiences in life where you don’t feel comfortable. And just as in the physical, it can be to the non-physical, in the form of negative thoughts trying to creep in or find fault in your positive thinking.
Your intuition is guiding you toward your own personal best, not someone else’s. You deserve to follow that inner guide, and grow into the best “you” that you can be.
2. Reinforce your desires
If you want what you actually want, instead of what you don’t want, it’s important to call in backup for the battle of your mind. The reinforcement you want can be brought about through positive affirmations (click here to read more about them, and how to use them), mirror work, and many other positive thinking practices. You can also find like-minded communities to help you. No matter what, your goal is to ultimately get out of the funk, or avoid it in the first place altogether.
And if you have a hard time asking for help from others, remember that it’s ok to ask for help from those around you. Everyone has a perspective on some experience that can provide value.
3. Just say yes to yes
As you reinforce your desires, you’ll find that opportunities for those desires to be attained will come into view. When these opportunities come, seize them! If you ordered a salad at dinner and they bring it to you, you wouldn’t normally ask for the soup instead, would you? Carpe opportunitatem! (Seize the opportunity!)
4. Be grateful, not hateful
When the opportunity arises for you to express angst toward someone, or have a negative attitude, it’s time to press the gratitude button. If someone cuts you off on the highway, instead of yelling at them and serving the “one figure salute”, take advantage of the current moment to express gratitude for your awareness, or for the function of your vehicle’s brakes. Remember, no matter what the story, it could always be written worse.
5. Give yourself room to wiggle
If you don’t reach your desired bounce-back point, that’s ok – nobody’s perfect. Be grateful for the progress you’ve made, any amount gives us growth. Even if it’s a little bit of regress, it may just be giving you something more to learn before your next big bounce-back.
Here’s to overcoming every challenge life has to offer. Let’s talk about how you’ve used these tips to your advantage in the discussion below!