What keeps us holding on despite the odds, the naysayers, the negative thoughts that seep into our minds? I believe that the traits of grit, determination, tenacity, and willpower help us to persevere despite our fear, our current reality, or feelings of loss. Creating a mindset that fosters these traits and our power to choose our response to any given situation, allows us to recognize our courage as we realize that choice, change, and the power of YES! lies within all of us.
We get to choose:
- our mindset
- our internal dialogue
- to make perspective shifts
- to reframe our challenges
- to change our self-talk, thoughts, feelings, and actions
- to respond with grit, determination, tenacity, and willpower
This mindset inspires you to tap into your authentic confidence and resilience as your fighter within comes out swinging!
Developing this mindset fostered me to take empowered action, when I felt that my ability to succeed was being questioned. After my older sister was invited to join the High School’s National Honors Society, my mom told me that it was okay if I was not asked to join The National Honors Society, like my sister had been. It felt to me like she was assuming I wouldn’t be able to be part of this society, because of my history of developmental delays and academic challenges in elementary school secondary to my health issues, and did not want me to create unrealistic expectations for myself.
I said to her, “I am not even in High School yet, don’t count me out before I even try, and I definitely will be a part of The National Honors Society.”
In that moment, I chose to create a mindset that fostered the traits of grit, determination, tenacity, and willpower which brought out my fighter within. That inspired me to take empowered action. With conviction, perseverance, and relentless diligence, I made my desires a reality. I have done this countless times since, when facing both health and life adversity. This motivated me to respond with resiliency, which allowed me to experience that through each obstacle there were opportunities to grow, evolve, and transform.
I invite you to read aloud and keep this encouraging message close by:
When you think that you can’t deal with one more failure, setback, diagnosis, obstacle, defeat; connect with your fighter within to ignite your inner light to get you through even the darkest of nights.
When you think that you can’t take one more step… you can.
When you feel like you only have one beat left…the rhythm will begin again.
Every time that you think you can’t take one more disappointment…you can.
You’ve got a fighter within!
