When you judge yourself, and how things appear to be going, you have to be careful to look at everything in its totality. It’s very easy to get caught up in whatever is happening immediately around you — especially if things seem to be negative, or less than ideal.

If you’re experiencing life challenges and a lot of change it is easy to mistakenly assume that more of it is going to show up. In other words, our current experiences tend to be the frame in which we see our current reality.

Here is an example from my own life to better illustrate what I’m saying…

As I have said on many occasions, everyone experiences moments where they feel they’re just not where they want to be on the “ladder of success.” I am certainly no different. Yes, you heard me right. I, like everyone, experience times of doubt. As I often say, I don’t consider it a flaw, as much as part of being human.

So, while it is true that we all experience times like the ones I mentioned, remaining stuck in the feeling is a whole other story.

Make no mistake, your ability to get “unstuck” when you find yourself battling through such tough times will be the difference between an abundance of life experiences worth celebrating, and instead wishing you had more of them.

Here’s the story I promised…

This past week I found myself thinking about a part of my business that was down. Not down and out, but not doing as well as it had in the past. Interestingly, the more I thought about it, the more it seemed to be built up in my mind to the point where I lost sight of the totality of things — the larger picture of my business, and the things in it that were worth feeling good about. That’s not to say the thing I was fixated on didn’t need my attention.

Certainly it needed to be addressed, but what I now realize is, it didn’t need all my attention, to the point where I lost sight of the overall, larger picture, and instead fell into the mistaken idea that that one area which was experiencing a challenge was somehow representative of everything. Because I didn’t address it, naturally it continued to build upon itself, taking my generally rosy outlook with it. Then, a funny thing happened that shifted me from my misguided view of my current reality — two things actually, and all in the same day no less.

First, I got a text from a friend. He let me know that a mutual friend of ours was at a company meeting, and she texted my friend with the following message, “Omg, so and so (name withheld) just quoted Josh from the stage.” Turns out the fellow who quoted me was the CEO of the particular company she is a rep for. As if that wasn’t a wake-up call reminder that the frame I was seeing things through at the moment was false, then I got another one.

Later the same day I received an email from a woman asking if I would make a change to her new address (she reads the newsletter I publish). So when I wrote her back she went on to tell me that she often shares my work in the hotline she offers for her team. I also saw that she had been a reader of the newsletter for many years.

After the two examples occurred the same day, it was like being shaken right out of my “stinking thinking.” It was just the validation I needed to make me realize that the challenge was at best a small piece of the larger picture. One that in fact was chock full of its share of “wins” and “successes” along the way. I just needed to see things in their totality.

Please understand that I’m not sharing those stories to brag. Rather, I want you to think about times where something jarred you out of doubt or fear of the unknown and turned out to be just the ticket necessary to get you back on track.

Friend, make no mistake, you are far more than whatever challenge you may be facing. You were made for greatness. Embrace that truth and you’ll undoubtedly find that more of life’s rewards will begin to show up for you.

Make no mistake…

It’s Your Life, LIVE BIG
Josh Hinds

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PS. You can get my book, ‘It’s Your Life, LIVE BIG’ by click here!