Friday, Oct. 19, 2012

I’m continuously surprised at how the disciplines we use in one aspect of our lives can be applied to other areas.  Allow me to explain….  Yesterday, I blogged about getting mentally strong through running.  The strength of will and determination necessary to run through discomfort in order to reach one’s goal is awe-inspiring.  But this level of dedication needn’t only apply or be achieved through running.

Many of the skills we learn or adopt to wade our way through this thing we call life can cross over to other aspects of our lives.  While running, one teaches themselves to mentally override the mixed messages sent when their body becomes stressed.  This same level of grit can be applied to other areas of life.

Consider the employee who has a dictator for a boss.  No matter what the employee does, it just never quite seems to be enough for their boss.  The employee receives feedback such as, “You could’ve gotten that done faster,”  “Saved us more money,” “Been more creative,” etc.  This even when the employee’s accomplished all of the above.  It’s not that the employee is lacking in their ability to do their job.  They’re not. 

But getting this level of disapproval day after day, project after project begins to wear away at a person.  That is…if they let it.  Consider this.  What if instead of getting upset at their boss for not recognizing their performance, the employee mentally overrides the boss’s comments?  Doesn’t take them personally?  Decides to be proud of their achievements and brush off their boss’s inability to offer praise?

The same skills needed to override the boss’s lack of acknowledgement are what are used when running through discomfort.  The person needs to teach him or herself how and when to ignore things that might otherwise derail them.  In succeeding, the individual flexes their mental strength, building it to a force that isn’t easily broken.  Bit by bit, the person learns to turn within for guidance, strength and the determination necessary to move more fluidly through life.