Feeling Discouraged or Disheartened?

Have you had the thought, "Holy crap, it's already October! I still have so much I wanted to do by the end of the year?" How about, "why is this happening to me right now? Life sucks; this is too much?"

These are all phrases of discouragement. Life happens, and the people who come up on top are the ones who quickly get back into excitement and optimism!

If you've been feeling discouraged or disheartened because 2021 was going to be your year, and it's not turned out the way you want yet, then I'm here to challenge you to PUSH this next month. You got this!

So many of us have been down, discouraged, and disheartened for too long. We've let the unexpected rule our lives and forgot about the big projects, dreams, and ambitions that cause us to progress.

1. Get Perspective - What's important at this moment?  What's required to serve others with excellence in this situation? Sometimes perspective on what's important and how to serve can transform how we feel.
2. Do One Thing To Feel Encouraged And Excited, Today - What's one thing you can do to feel joy, generate optimism, and get you back into your momentum? Sometimes encouragement starts with a tiny, bold action.
3. Listen, Read, Or Experience Inspiration - Who is someone that inspires you?  What would they do or advise you at this moment? What is something that helps you feel connected and hopeful? Sometimes if we feel things have stagnated for too long, a little hope goes a long way to get us back on track.
4. Think About The Good Things On The Way - What's something you have planned or can plan that's coming up? Can you get two tickets for a museum exhibit, concert, or fun event you can share with someone? Sometimes expecting something good in the future can knock us out of thinking how stressful or bad things are now.
5. Focus On Agency - What's in your power to change?  Are you role-modeling the best way to handle discouragement for your team, family, and friends? If we feel discouraged, we sometimes feel like we don't control what's happening to us. Focusing on our agency and what we can do can be the key to not getting stuck in discouragement over long periods.

It's up to us to change how we feel when we are discontented, and it's usually more straightforward than we sometimes think. Maybe you needed to hear that you got this, you can change how you feel, and you can create the life you were meant to live. It's not easy, and it's worth the struggle on the journey forward in life!