LIFE'S HARD: Do you "hold up" or "fold up."

You know, I have two cans right here. And when you look at these cans, they look identical. I mean, they're both green, they both hold lime bubbly soda. And from the outside perspective, they look the same. But when I put a little pressure on them, this can, when I put pressure on, it seems to hold up, but this can seems to fold up. What's the difference? The difference is this can is full while this can is empty. You know, that's a beautiful metaphor of life. You know, some people go life, and when a little pressure comes upon them, some people just seem to hold up. They can sort of weather the storm, but some people, they fold up. What's the difference? The difference is that one is full and one is empty. You know, sometimes our emptiness is because of our own doing, our own mistakes. And if that's the case, we're going to need to own those. Sometimes, though, it's because others have heaped ill will on us and have robbed us of our joy and happiness. Sometimes it's just circumstances of life. Seems like every time we get ahead, something is there to pull us back down. Regardless, you can't allow yourself to become a prisoner of hard times. One of my favorite friends, Liz Benny, says that those who have losing mindsets have bad days, weeks, months, and years. For those with winning mindsets, they have bad moments. How do we begin conquering these circumstances in our life so that we can be full? You know, before I tell you, you have to understand that this is only a chapter. Things will change. And you may be going through pain right now, but. But the pain in which you're experiencing is only temporary. It will not last forever. So how do you begin the process of filling our tanks so we can be happy and healthy? Well, first you have to get grounded, pray and meditate. I don't know if you're a believer or not, but I grew up in the church, and as I read my Bible, it says to cast all your cares upon God, for he cares for you. And sometimes it's great to have someone to just be able to cast our cares upon. You know, inside of each and every one of us, there is a core. We have to get connected with that core so that we can become stable and grounded. You know, it's very difficult to build a house upon a foundation that's always moving. So you need to pray, you need to read, you need to meditate. I was talking with a coach not too long ago, and she was reminding me of the importance to breathe. She says you need to learn to breathe in hold your breath and then slowly breathe out. It slows your heart rate. It slows your emotion. It helps you get grounded. Second thing is, you need to practice gratitude. You know, what in your life are you thankful for? Sometimes when we're in the valley, it's so easy to think that there isn't anything positive. But truth of the matter is, there really is. And going on a search for that which is good will begin to shift your state from despair to hope. Pay attention to the small things, the little things. What in your life are you really grateful for? But don't just look at what, but convince yourself or tell yourself why you're grateful for those things. Number three you need to get a quick Win Get a quick win to move yourself forward One of my favorite definitions of momentum is simply forward motion fueled by a series of wins. You need to do something to begin the process of getting you unstuck. For me, I like to wash the dishes. I know it sounds really simple and maybe even silly, but sometimes you simply making my home look like an adult lives in begins moving the process of being stuck or in a brain fog to the point where I can begin seeing positive light again. For others, it may be setting a goal and hit it. I don't know what it is, but you need to get a quick win so you can move yourself forward. Fourth is practice self care. You know it's easy when we aren't feeling great to drink our sorrows away or to grab that gallon of ice cream and devour it instead. I want to encourage you to get move your body. Take a walk, go to the gym, get a massage. Do something that will make you feel good and make your body feel good. And what happens is it's not too long before your mind will follow. Fifth, don't be afraid to get help. You know your friends and loved ones actually care about you. And sometimes when we're in a vacuum and negative things have happened to us or life just isn't all that great, it's easy to assume that everything and everyone around us is against us. But we're not. Sometimes we look at other people and their life looks so great and we're like they're not going to be able to relate. They can't and they will. You're not a burden to anyone. You need to reach out to those who are close to you. You need to simply talk it out. Sometimes just minting your issues is enough to get you moving and get to the next step. Perhaps you need to get professional help. Help from someone who's trained and is not so emotionally invested in their current situation. You know, sometimes that can be the difference in staying stuck and fighting freedom. Here's what we know. What we know is it's okay to get down. But if you get down and you stay down, you're proud. When you're too valuable as a human being to stay down, you're worthy of happiness. You deserve to have your tanks full. You deserve to be happy. Now, you may not be able to fix all your problems at once, but simply getting up and starting the process is half the journey. You know, if you want your cup full, you have to turn the faucet on. I'm Chad Thibodeau, reminding you that you only have one life. You might as well make it count.