When Life Pushes You... PUSH BACK!

Lately, I've experienced some setbacks with my finances and my business.

It feels like life has given me a hard push knocking me back and leaving me feeling stressed and anxious.

If I'm being honest, there have been days when I have wanted to call in sick and spend the day hiding and wallowing in my feelings.

But...I won't let the anxiety and stress get the better of me.  When I feel like this, I review my mission statement.

BE A CONDUIT NOT A CONTAINER
"I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME." PHILIPPIANS 4:13.
EACH DAY COUNTS! I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY DAYS I HAVE LEFT ON THIS PLANET SO MAKE EACH ONE COUNT. THE LORD HAS GIVEN ME TALENTS AND ABILITIES TO BLESS OTHERS NOT HOARD TO MYSELF SO EACH DAY I MUST FOCUS, SERVE, AND LEAD LETTING THE LORD WORK THROUGH ME TO ACCOMPLISH HIS WILL FOR MY LIFE. THIS APPLIES TO EVERY AREA OF MY LIFE.  I DO NOT STRIVE TO EARN MY SALVATION SINCE IT HAS BEEN BOUGHT AND PAID FOR BY THE BLOOD OF CHRIST.  TO WHO MUCH HAS BEEN GIVEN MUCH IS EXPECTED.  I TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY AND WANT TO RUN A GOOD RACE BECAUSE I LOVE THE LORD AND LOOK FORWARD TO THE DAY WHEN I HEAR "WELL DONE GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT."

It's this mission statement that keeps me grounded and present.  It gets me up and going because I remember it's not all about me.   It's about rising above all challenges life throws at me because other people are depending on me to show up and give my BEST.

I've learned that when life pushes me....I need to PUSH BACK.

I can't always change my circumstances but I can control how I respond to them.

Here are three ways I push back and keep my head in the game:

1. Do something BIG.  A few weeks ago I got a tax bill that felt like a punch in the gut. The next day I made it a point to get up and hit my bench press goal early.  By hitting the goal it immediately took me from being on my heels to back on offense.  Doing something big reminds us that life is full of ups and downs.  We'll have setbacks, but there are always successes as well.  So go create one!

2. Write down at least 3 gratitudes. Your brain can't be angry or sad and grateful at the same time. Creating a gratitude list shuts down the negative emotions and gets you back into a positive mindset quickly.  It's not hard. We just chose to dwell in the negative at times rather than appreciating the positive.  What's something you're grateful for right now?

3. Do something for someone else.   Many times when we get into life's challenges it's easy to become hyper focused on our problems.  This is a toxic mindset.  There are other people out there struggling worse than you.  Make a point to do something to bless someone.  It will leave you with a greater sense of well being when you put yourself on the back burner and do something for someone else...unconditionally.

These are my top three weapons to "push down" the "foes" of stress, anxiety, self pity, and worry.

Knock them on their ass and keep going!

Erik Peacock