Facing All Challenges

It has been far too long since my last post; but I had to take a hiatus in order to complete several other projects going on all at the same time. Now that I'm back in action, the first topic I'd like to address on my return is the idea of challenges (and if you must, challengers).

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chal·lenge (noun) 1. a call or summons to engage in any contest, as of skill, strength, etc.; 2. something that by its nature or character serves as a call to battle, contest, special effort, etc; 3. a call to fight, as a battle, a duel, etc.; 4. a demand to explain, justify, etc.: a challenge to the treasurer to itemize expenditures.; 5. difficulty in a job or undertaking that is stimulating to one engaged in it.

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The emboldened definitions are the ones I want you to focus on, in particular the difficulty in a job or undertaking. Life is a funny thing. Everyday of it is a gift, yet there can be those days that come with a set of challenges that push you to the brink; that sometimes can make just being alive seem like a burden unto itself. The thing is no matter what you are going through, your goal should be to just keep living, keep perservering. Rise up and answer the call - face your challenges, your obstacles, your impediments, and your nay-sayers face on. Don't let anything distract your efforts and that which you are out to accomplish. To help with the process - here is a five step guide I've created to help you overcoming and move forward.


>>> IDENTIFY - Be aware and know what challenges you have faced (past), what challenges you are in the midst of (present), and what challenges could arise in the time ahead (future). You'll have the mindset of being currently aware, the knowledge gained from your past tribulations, and the ability to prepare for your obstacles on the horizon. Sit and ask yourself, what are my challenges? Always be honest. Get out a note pad and write an outline. What are your challenges, and what are the ROOTS of those challenges (the causes/ instigators/ agitators). Be thorough, and be truthful; that is the only way any progress can be made - shatter any denial(s).

>>> RESOLUTION - Come up with a game plan. How will you get out? Who can/ will help you get survive the challenge? What do you need to do to fix the situation? When can the problem be fixed (and be realistic...)? Set goals and timelines. Have a starting point, and a finishing point. Know where you are, and where you want to be so you can monitor your progress. Don't be afraid to "coach" your way out of turmoil. Be methodical and thoughful; not rash and irrational. Sometimes moving out of a predicament can be tough, but be up to the task. Again, be realistic with your goal setting. Garnish all the help and positive influences you can - let your family and friends know your plans (you need support to succeed).


>>> EFFORT - This is an important key before you initate your plans. You must put yourself in a positive mindset, and gather your strength. It's not just enough to come up with a solution to your challenges, you've got to get ready to implement them and that takes work. Rallying your supporters to help you is a vital step in both creating a resolution, but in putting that plan into place as well. Get yourself in the shape you need - mentally, physically, and emotionally. Exercise, it'll help with all three. De-stress by finding hobbies you enjoy and gravitate your mind away from your problems. Stimulate yourself - don't just lay stagnant without anything to do - all that does it leave your mind fixated on your problems.


>>> IMPLEMENTATION - Devising the remedy isn't the end of the story. Just like a New Year's Resolution isn't enough - you have to actually follow through with it and that's where a lot of people slip up. Moreover, you can't just start down the road, quit halfway (or give a mediocre effort) and think you're going to get to the end of the road. You've got to give your solutions your all, and dedicate to becoming better/ overcoming the challenge. Enact your solutions, and stick through them thick and thin. You can't falter, you can't quit, and you can't put up a sorry effort towards your plan. Create a journal and keep track of your progress and to take general notes. Do a check up and evaluation with your support group, have them help you monitor your progress.

>>> PROGRESS MANAGEMENT & SUSTAINING - So you've put in the hard work, you've singled out your challenges and what is causing them. You created a solution/ way out; built your effort up, and then begin putting your plans in place. So now what? Now comes the really hard part - continuing to make progress. Maintaining and sustaining can sometimes be the hardest things you do when you're on the upswing. Too often we let ourselves plateau or "coast" once we've hit a certain point. Don't let yourself get into that phase because before you know it, you can begin going in reverse. Effort and implementation will continue through this stage, you will constantly need to revitalize your effort and re-implement your game plans. The notes of progress should continue, and every so often you should create a new outline, a new starting point, and a new ending point just to stay fresh. If you're having a hard time and feel like you've hit a ceiling at any point - consider it a new challenge and restart the whole process from step one. It won't be the end of the world if you occasionally stumble, just keep notes in your journal/ outline you've created on whatever happened, and come up with ways to avoid it from happening again. We're all only human; to hold yourself to any higher regard and seek out absolute perfection is a mistake in itself.

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Challenges in your life will arise all the time. Just when you think you've conquered one thing, three more will pop up in their place. It's all about managing them, taking them in stride, then constructing your way either out or around. Being a champion or someone who succeeds does not mean you will go without struggles - keep in mind that every set of situations or circumstances can present it's own unique challenges (which is why you should always be careful about what you wish for). Difficult times and situations will arise, so be prepared not only to endure, but to fight your way through/ out. Practice the I.R.I.E.P. steps above. Lean on your support (family, friends, love ones, co-workers, associates), and examine your landscape for resources than can help you (financial, social, psychological, weight loss, etc.). It might not always be easy, but where there is a will, there is a way. Life is too short to do anything but dance while you have the chance.

Until the next time, make it a great week!

J. Junior II
12/8/2011

Defy All Odds

When you set out to live unconquered, you must realize that you will face obstacles, distractions, derailments, and difficult conquests around every corner you turn. Your personal will can, and will, always be put to the test. There will be situations where your character is pushed to the limit, and that you’re asked to keep moving even though it seems hopeless. You never know what hurdles and obstacles will be thrown at you in your lifetime, but what you can do is make a dedication that no impediment placed in your way will be a deterrent to you continuing along the path of life you set. 

"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson   

I’ll turn your attention to Eric LeGrand. For those of you who don’t know, he was a collegiate football player at Rutgers University who was injured this past season. He suffered a severe spinal injury, and was paralyzed as a result. Since his injury October 16^th, he has consistently made it his initiative to defy the odds, stating numerous times that he will walk again. In his latest update, he tweeted pictures of himself alongside his mother in therapy – standing upright. This is the same person in mid-October of 2010 that doctors – for all their intelligence and medical expertise – incorrectly stated he would never walk again. Those same doctors, who predicted LeGrand would be attached to a ventilator the rest of his life. Another misdiagnosis. Whether it be fate, a miracle, or by his sheer will, he has already defied the odds – and continues to every hour, every minute, and every second. Can those of us who complain (myself included) about the simple things, do the same, without complaints or negative attitudes? When I see people such as Eric, or the cancer patients I work with on a daily basis – individuals are defying the odds every second – it gives me the motivation and dedication to hurdle my own hindrances which are minuscule in comparison.

Click for link on Eric LeGrand's progress....

Whatever route through life you choose - always be aware that a detour is available around obstructions if needed. Even if you storm through rough patches like a bull in a china shop – just ensure that you make it through. The saying that “nothing is impossible” is spot on. You are only defeated by a circumstance when you wave your white flag and surrender. Remember – don’t let something conquer you; and in the same token don’t have the mindset that you’ve got to conquer everything in sight. The goal is to be unconquered by your environment, and then being more than a conqueror all-the-while being an example, a leader, a protagonist, and a role model for those who surround you. Don’t feel like you are required to conform to stereotypes or statistics, go against the grain and be a standout.

The odds you experience will vary, but none are too great to be defeated. Have strength, and never succumb to your milieu. Whether you’re in what seems to be an unending and grueling battle with cancer, seeking to walk again, kick that decades long addiction – whatever it is – don’t give up your fight. The road may be hell, but I can assure you the light at the end of the tunnel is there. Always persist, and know that some journeys you depart on may not come to an end. Moreover, if you never reach whatever “destination” it is, it is better to be in the act of traveling, than have given up along the way. Cherish the moment, cherish the journey, and cherish the struggles. A day of struggles is better than no day at all…

Root for those around you to defy all odds too. Do the unthinkable, do what no one believes you can do. I personally believe in vicarious victories. Always support and push forward those in your life with a positive and well intended agenda. All it takes is one person to experience their breakthrough to trigger an avalanche of encouragement, success, and accomplishments. Live united; it’s even better to defy the odds as a posse.  

“Standing tall, we can’t fall….”

- Eric LeGrand

Defy & Live Unconquered.

JJR II

7/19/2011

Get Out!

If you’re in a bad situation, be sure that you get out. If your circumstance or environment is damaging your essence, get out. Drug addictions, hustling, stealing, lying habits – get out. Bad abusive relationships, a wreck of a financial situation, and depression all qualify as well – get yourself out of those conditions and move into a better area of life. Have things that are weighing you down and crushing you? Get out from under them.

Don’t make excuses of why you can’t get out. Don’t ever say you can’t get out either, because you can if you really want to and set your mind to it. You may struggle when you get out, but in the end it will be for the better. Don’t let fear hold you back from getting out, better always comes when you get out of a bad predicament. I don’t care if you have to crawl, roll, flop, or have someone drag you by your feet, just find a path and get on it, and start moving towards the light. The path to getting out can be just as tough as any hellish situation you were in; stick it out. The road to triumph is not for the weak or ill-willed, be sure to have your priorities, your house, and your courage in order before proceeding. Try to not let stubbornness and the dreading of change move into your way either; you need to move forward with open eyes and an open brain.

Sometimes the reason trials and tribulations in life can seem ever-ending is because of laziness. To get away from a “storm”, sometimes you’ll need to pack it up and relocate. There could be sunny skies just a block away, but if you’re too lazy to move out of a bad environment, you could just continue to have unending rains and storms in your life. Not all storms just quickly pass; sometimes you will need to relocate out of them. Placing yourself in a better surrounding isn’t always “running from the problem” if it’s in your (and those around you) best interests.

If you can’t get out, then plan on working it out. As I spoke of last week, use your knowledge and the power it creates to wield yourself a key, a door of opportunity, a car to drive you through, a better financial life – whatever it is that you need to succeed and allow contentment in. No one wants or deserves to live in continuous melancholy, and to be quite frank life is too short. Get out of and away from a life of “stress & mess”. Move up and into bigger and better things, and live for a purpose.

For the things that surround you that are zapping you of your strength, bringing chaos and turmoil into your presence, taking joy in anarchy – tell them to GET OUT. It’s your life, and your responsibility to keep things away from you with mischievous agendas. Don’t ever knowingly let evil slumber in the bed beside you; kick it out. Tell it to go on, and don’t let it destroy your goals and what you’ve worked hard to attain. The mere association with iniquity can crumble you and everything you stand for. You should desire to live unconquered and not under the control of your circumstances, your environment, or your situations. The closer you are to getting out and telling evil to get out, the next step you take to reaching that goal…

Always live unconquered, and pledge to be more than a conqueror. Happy Independence Day

JJR II 

Let A Healing...

Last week I spoke about ushering in a new era in your life, and that to do that, you have to let your past go. What happens sometimes is that we let the past go, forgive others and ourselves, and move forward. Yet, we still feel hollow. More than likely, it’s because you’ve forgotten to let a healing in; not uncovering your wounds so they can get air and heal. Remember that you can only keep band-aids and bandages over a deep wound so long; it needs to be exposed to sunlight and air to properly heal over. Deep wounds do tend to leave a scar regardless, but you’re in a better place if you have a blemish than a wound that is continually reopened in your life. 

Letting a healing occur isn’t always easy, and everyone has different methods of completing this process. Sometimes conversing with someone you trust (and who is trustworthy) helps, whereas some individuals have to seek out counseling. Some of us can heal ourselves as we take a step back and soul search, whereas some need to introvert themselves to recover. Do whatever you need to do, but open your mind and let yourself recover. You can only be the victim of your circumstance for so long, and in this era there isn’t much empathy from others to go around. Always ask yourself – what problem or circumstance has the empathy from others ever conquered?

If you don’t allow a healing – whether it’s physical, mental, or emotional – your “scars” can slowly create permanent and lasting damage in your life. Your circumstance and situation can continue to stagnant and then deteriorate, until you find yourself in a place that you don’t know how to escape. Letting “scars” fester and not heal can pull you into depression, create addictions, and perpetuate bad habits. “Scars” in life are almost as “potholes” in your foundation. Leave them unattended and they can spread, start spreading cracks through your whole foundation, and ultimately lead to your destruction. You cannot not allow that to happen; let a healing happen…

The theme remains the same, be sure that you’re in a positive environment. You will heal much faster when you are in conditions conducive for growth. Don’t get in the mindset of thinking you’re broken beyond repair, because you aren’t. This mindset can lead you to settling for less than you deserve; it’s not selfish to desire the best for yourself no matter your circumstance or situation. Keep the faith, keep pressing forward, open yourself up to be healed, and then be sure to let a healing begin for you immediately…

6/20/11

JJR II

The Dawn of a New Era

There are times in life where things can get so bad, that the best option can be to start over. While you should never find yourself creating new “starting points” all the time – every so often is necessary to maintain sanity and sanctity. Before you create a starting point – you should ask yourself these questions…

Where am I now? (and be honest with yourself)

Where do I want to be? (set realistic goals)

How do I get there? (don’t take the easy routes)

Am I willing and ready to put in hard work? (you will need to)

Who will be affected by my changes? (know your environment)

Before starting anew, you will need to envelope yourself with positive environments and individuals – otherwise your plan to “renovate” yourself won’t succeed. You will need daily encouragement and motivation for your new beginning to take root. This applies whether you’re escaping a bad relationship, abuse, an addiction, a bad job environment, or financial plight. You need to set a standard, and you need to stick to it. Be aware that things may get worse before they get better once you’ve decided to begin anew, and you cannot toss in the towel. Be sure that you have the courage and tenacity to tough things out. Don’t let fear of starting over hold you back – sometimes you only make your circumstances worse by not just moving on. Avoid letting empathy be a barrier to future opportunity and the chance for a fresh change of pace.

- A New Beginning -

- A Fresh Start -

Track your progress, don’t isolate yourself, and don’t smother others in the meanwhile. Maintain your focus and discipline, and know there is no situation or circumstance that you cannot escape. You might feel like you haven’t made it back to where you may have once been, but you need to understand that your life is what you make of it. You can always attain maximum satisfaction with what you have in the present day if you have true appreciation and focus on the positives in your life. Always avoid using your past to determine where you should be in your future, because unfortunately life does not work in that manner.  For you, make this the dawn of a new era. The past print in your chapters can't be changed, but after today they should have no bearing on what you "write" for your future. Closing the doors on the old will assist you in ushering in the new, and get you a step closer to living unconquered.

6/13/11

JJR