Doing Hard Things

How do you deal with hard things?
Do you file them in the too hard basket?
Do you procrastinate on them?
Do you allow them to take over your thinking and emotions until you can’t do anything?
What if you could walk into the hard things with confidence?

Hello, My Friends

My goodness, this week has zipped on by.
Every month I set a goal to achieve, this months goal is to complete and set up systems for my businesses bookkeeping.
This I have been procrastinating about. It is not as much fun as writing blogs, and posting videos.
My coach has been working with me, to discover the joy of all aspects of owning and growing a business and that includes bookkeeping.

So, each one of us has areas of growth that we are stretching into.

Today’s topic is embracing the hard things.
We don’t know what we can do, until we have a go at doing it.
We don’t know how far we can go with an idea until we have committed to it and worked on it consistently.
We get to know our selves more when we challenge the existing boundaries around our lives.
How far can you go in your life?
Only you have the answer to that question.

How far do you want to go?
What is the secret dream hiding in your heart? It all starts with a dream, and a belief.
Once you have your dream, and a seed of belief, you are on your way.
To get to your dream you will have to travel to places you have never been before.
Physically, this may mean you are required to see people, go to places, and buildings you have not been to before.
Emotionally, this may mean you are choosing to face your fears, to feel your emotions, and to walk through them, over and over.
Spiritually, this may mean you tap into your inner strength, the place where your courage lives, the core of you, your authentic place.

Doing hard things!!
What makes a hard thing hard? What is hard to you, may be easy to someone else. And what you find easy and exhilerating someone else finds scary and overwhelming.

What makes a hard thing hard? Our thoughts, Our body sensations, Our beliefs and Our emotions.
Have you ever had a physical, gut wrenching reaction to doing something.
A while back, I was at a confidence course building outdoor pursuit type space. I’m not sure where the confidence part comes from. Some of those activities are down right terrifying.
I was sitting on a platform 10 metre above the ground. I had willingly climbed the ladder to get myself up there, I had willingly put on the harness, I had willing joked with everyone else how easy it will be.
I had also watched the terror on the faces of some of my colleagues as they edged offf the platform, and I had watched a few who revealed in the fun of it and jumped, who were invigorated by the experience.
Me, I thought I’m okay with heights, I can do this, I’m harnessed, I’ll be okay.
And, I was until it was my turn to step off the edge.
I stepped forward, feeling confident, looked down and my confidence evaporated, fear took over my mind, and my body. I froze.
I could hear the instructor telling me what to do. But I couldn’t do it.
He told me to sit on the edge, to dangle my feet over the edge, not to look down.
He encouraged me to wriggle myself forward and then to lean off the egde.
He had obviously had people like me before, he knew how to speak calmly, to keep me focused on him and his words.
Then he said on the count of three, push yourself off. Three, Two, One.
I sat rigid, not moving a muscle. Fear was gripping at every fibre of my being.
He stood behind me, placed his knee gently in my back, and reassured me, I would be okay, and informed me he’s help me on the next count down.
My brain was frozen, my entire focus was on what was in front of me, knowing this was the only way down.
I knew my colleagues were waiting, watching, laughing and jostling. I was frozen.
He started counting down, “Three, Two …”
He applied pressure on my back and I was over the edge.
I don’t recall whether I screamed or not, for the first few seconds, I was petrified, then as the wind blew against my face, and I realised I was actually on my way down, and I was going to be okay,
I relaxed and enjoyed the few minutes of the descent. I had done it, I was on cloud nine. Yes!! Go Me!
Some one asked me if I wanted to go again. That was a definite “No” I hurried out of the harness, before someone could coax me to go again.
The feeling of elation at having done something so scary, was amazing.
And I did gain confidence to have a go at other height and weightless exercises.

I did a hard thing and became more confident in myself. If I had the courage to go again and again, I could have overcome the resistance and learned to enjoy the entire experience.
As I write this, my body has gone through all those emotions again. I felt the fear of sitting at the top. I felt the fear and betrayal of having a gentle knee help me over the edge.
I felt the elation of gliding to earth. And I feel the pleasure of moving out of my comfort zone, learning I can trust myself, and that I can do hard things.

What may feel hard, and what may seem insurmountable, is only a step or two away from becoming part of your new comfort zone, if you have the courage to step out and try.
You may need help, like I did, seek out people who have the skills you want, ask for guidance, ask for accountability.
Then lean into the new, feel all your resistance, this is where the power of change hides.
As you confront your resistance you gain confidence, and this confidence empowers you to continue forward after your dream.

You can do hard things. You have already done hard things. To be where you are in your life right now, you will have had to face hard things already.
Embracing a challenge and moving towards it, feeling all the emotions in your body, listening to you brain, then soothing your fears, as you would a small child.
Step into the next thing that has to happen to bring your dream to life. One tiny action at a time you can do a hard thing.

Until next time my friends.
Begin to look at the hard things as challenges to grow you, physically, emotionally, or spiritually. Becoming your authentic self in the process brings confidence in you.
Choose one “hard thing” you want to accomplish this week. What have you been procrastinating over? What has you running scared? Seek help, then begin one small action at a time.
Feel the satisfaction of having achieved when you complete your action, this will give you power to continue.

Have a fabulous week.

oxoxo Linda.

As a certified Life Coach, I help you to help yourself, so you can create a well lived life your way. 

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