Face Your Fears. Know Your Enemy.

Fear is a sneaky thing that shows up at our doorstep when we least expect it. Fear can paralyze us from doing the things we really need to do – the things we MUST do. We don’t often think of fear as a good thing, but when we shift our thinking around fear, we can not only face it, but conquer it. I saw this firsthand during multiple cancer battles from close family members, but I see it every day of my life. Small fears, big fears…they’re all real fears we must deal with.

Here are a few things that help:

  1. Name it.  When you can name your fear and recognize it, you gain a certain level of power over it. It’s still scary and hard, but it’s known. Like the name of my book, “Know Your Enemy,” once you know what you’re up against, you can approach it better.
  2. Look Big Picture. So much of our fear is based on the immediate feeling or emotion, but facing something hard and scary may have long-term benefits that we can’t see right now. Yes, it may be hard in the moment, but the benefits far outweigh the fear. When we shift our perspective to view the bigger picture, we can face that hard circumstance just a little easier. 
  3. Find your people. If you’re up against something really scary and hard (like cancer), go find your people. Don’t go at this scary thing alone. You don’t have to. And, it’s a whole lot easier when you have people by your side helping you face that fear.
  4. Educate yourself. Fear has this way of making us think we have to do it all by ourselves and that we can’t seek out help. But, the more educated and armed we are, the smarter we will be at fighting a hard battle. Find those experts who can help you fight your cancer battle. Find those people who can help with day-to-day things. Read those books and educate yourself so that you truly know how to fight your enemy. Knowledge is power and this power helps you fight your fears with confidence.  
  5. Share your story.  Friends, there is power in sharing your story. Facing hard times and fearful situations are not in vain. Your story and struggle has purpose and you can help encourage others who are going through a similar struggle simply by sharing your story. 

We often don’t get to choose when we deal with our fears, but the more I’m ready to face them, the better I get when they creep on up. We have the power to face hard things. YOU have the power to face hard things. May we face one more fear today than we did yesterday!

Can You Hear Me Now? The Mind-Body Connection

In a recent blog post, I referenced the phenomena of catchy phrase(s); the ones that become staples in pop culture and stick in our minds — sometimes for years. Well, there is a line from a cellular phone commercial that comes to mind. You know the one… Can you hear me now? Good. Can you hear me now? Good. Can you hear me now? Good.

Can You Hear Me Now? Can Your Body?

So I’d like to provide you with a slightly different perspective on this famous Can you hear me now? line. To do this, I want to share with you another favorite inspirational quote that I found during my mother, Maxine’s, cancer battle. The quote is credited to Rhonda Byrne and goes like this:

Whatever you believe about your body, your cells believe too. They don’t question anything you think, feel, or believe. In fact, they hear every thought, feeling, and belief you have.”

Do you see where I’m going with this? This statement says that your body is always listening for clues from your brain as to how you are thinking, feeling or believing at that particular moment in time.

If your mind is filled with positive inputs or vibes… “This is no big deal”… “I can handle this”…”This is in my wheelhouse”…your body processes these thoughts or cues and reacts accordingly.

The same holds true if your mind is filled negative inputs or vibes….”This is a big problem”… “I don’t know if I can do this”….”I’m a-scared.” Can your body hear you now? You bet it can.

More About the Mind-Body Connection

To reinforce this point, I’d like to share the following additional quotes with you:

  • • Cogito ergo sum, “I think therefore I am.” – Rene Descartes

  • • “As you think, so shall you become.” –  Bruce Lee

  • • “You are today where your thoughts have brought you; you will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you.” – James Allen

If you have read any of my other blog posts, you know by now that I’m a big believer in the power of the mind, and the impact that having a positive outlook on life can have on your health.

The first two quotes say to me that we are — and we become — a mosaic of what we think, feel and believe.  Can your body hear you now, Roger that.

The third quote by James Allen further validates that who we are (and what we will become) is nothing more than a self-fulfilling prophecy of how our minds process thoughts, feelings and beliefs about past, present and anticipated future life experiences.

So Can your body hear you now? That’s a Big 10-4.

“There’s No Crying in Baseball”: Inspirational Quotes

Just about every popular movie has at least one famous line. (Think: You had me at “hello.”) But some movies have one-liners that are far and away above the rest. You know what I mean … it’s a phrase that not only jumps out at us when we first hear it, but becomes a staple in pop culture and sticks in our minds for years to come. There are so many of these types of inspirational quotes from our favorite films, and I know I’ve turned to more than a few in my times of need.

For this blog, I’m going to go back to the inspirational quote delivered by Tom Hanks in the 1992 baseball movie titled A League of Their Own.

“There’s No Crying in Baseball”

In the scene, one of the baseball players (Evelyn) is called out by the team manager (Jimmy), played by Tom Hanks, after she made an error that allowed the other team to tie the score. As Jimmy is expressing his displeasure with Evelyn’s fielding, she begins to tear up and then starts crying. Jimmy notices this and then says… Are you crying, are you crying…there’s no crying…there’s no crying in baseball.

I believe the point team manager Jimmy is trying to make to Evelyn and her teammates is that errors or mistakes, while not desired, are a part of the game of baseball. Nobody is perfect. What is important, however, is not the physical act of making an error but how the error came about and what the player can do to put themselves in a better position to successfully execute the play the next time the situation occurs. In other words, learning from your mistakes.

What We Can Learn From Inspirational Quotes Like These

This same philosophy can also be applied to a challenging time in your life — whether you’re confronting a major health issue, like cancer, or personal or professional challenge.

I like to use quotes by successful people to reinforce points I’m trying to emphasize so here are a few more of my favorite inspirational quotes on this topic:

  • • “It’s not what happens to you but how you respond to it that matters.” – Epictetus
  • • “It’s not whether you get knocked down; it’s whether you get back up.” – Vince Lombardi
  • • “Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you respond to it.” – Lou Holtz

 

Will each of us experience challenges, obstacles or setbacks from time to time in life? Of course, if you are living life to the fullest. The question becomes, “How will you respond when confronted with a difficult life experience?”

As I see it, we have two choices: you can waste valuable time and energy feeling sorry for yourself (i.e., pout about it), or you can pick yourself up off the floor and direct your efforts toward solving the problem (i.e., kick some a%#!).

Can you guess which one I recommend?

Life Is But a Cliché: A Motivational Poem

It’s time to lighten things up again with another fun blog post. For this one, I’m going to try and tell a motivational story using only familiar clichés. But here’s the catch: I can’t use Google Search to come up with the cliché — an impossible task for the Millennial generation 😉 — but I can use Google to verify that I am stating it correctly.

Okay, here goes.

Life Is But a Cliché

Life is short and 90% of life is just showing up
So early to bed, early to rise
Live one day at a time
Make the most of each day
And live each day like it’s your last.

Slow and steady wins the race
And gives you time to stop and smell the roses
But keep in mind that every rose has its thorns.

The road to hell is paved with good intentions
So when you come to a fork in the road, take it
Because the grass is always greener on the other side
And nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Remember, you get what you pay for and there’s no free lunch
So make hay while the sun shines
Because a penny saved is a penny earned
And a fool and his money are soon parted
So if you fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.

Absolute power corrupts absolutely
So speak truth to power
Because rarely do you get a second chance to make a first impression.

The end justifies the means
So speak softly and carry a big stick
But don’t go off half-cocked.

Many a true word hath been spoken in jest
So have the last laugh
Because he who laughs last, laughs best.

Don’t judge a book by its cover
And actions speak louder than words
But also remember, failure to act is often the biggest failure of all.

We’re talkin’ about practice, not a game, not a game, practice
So when you finally get up to bat
Put your best foot forward
Just do your job and swing for the fences
Because you play to win the game
And second place is just the first loser.

If you love someone, set them free
If they come back they’re yours; if they don’t they never were.

All you need is love
So make love not war
And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.

How’s that for a cliché-filled list of life lessons?