Seth Saunders Inspirational, Learning, Value

CTRL+ALT+DELETE in order to Move Forward

CTRL+ALT+DELETE in order to Move Forward

There is a quote that has taken many forms that goes “what you become is more important than what you accomplish.” This particular quote is credited simply to Anonymous. When it comes to addiction, the impacts can be far reaching. All too often addiction is looked at as something which only impacts the actual person but the reality is, there are direct and indirect impacts all around.

Ironically, the person who is dealing with the addiction can only make real, lasting change once they come the realization that their actions impact more than just themselves.

There is no easy way out of addiction. It is not a one-time event but rather a process of many steps. This process can take longer for others and for many, it will be a life-long process. The process is often bumpy, emotional and hard. To overcome an addiction of any type is awesome, it should be recognized as an accomplishment but as the quote stated, it is really who we become that means the most. This applies to the individual and all those who may have been impacted by the addiction.

Those who have struggled with addiction and eventually found the strength, motivation and drive to overcome this terrible trial must never forget that those who were there to support them will need to make a fresh start as well. See they have been living the pain, sorrow, sadness and emotional ups and downs with the addicted. The ability to make a fresh start is not only important, it is necessary. Just like with our computers, when a program freezes we hit the keys CTRL+ALT+DEL to bring up the Task Manager. At this point we can see the program is Not Responding. We now have the choice to shut down the program and we do so, we are asked if we would like to start it again. So it is with all those who have seen the influence of addiction impact their lives, there comes a time for a CTRL+ALT+DEL.

The fresh start really revolves around the concept of becoming. It is about who we can and should become. That process is one that can be filled with excitement, empowerment, love and hope. As we focus on who we become whether we are the recovering addict or a loved one, we will quickly realize all the good our life has to offer. We will see are desire to want to help others increase; we will see our ability to love others grow and maybe most importantly, we will see in ourselves the ability to become great.

President Thomas S. Monson has stated, “Sometimes we let our thoughts of tomorrow take up too much of today. Daydreaming of the past and longing for the future may provide comfort but will not take the place of living in the present. This is the day of our opportunity, and we must grasp it.”[1] What a wonderful reminder about the need for a fresh start and the importance of focusing on today. That focus on becoming who we want to become is a daily task.

The battle with any addiction is real; it is real for all involved. The influence and impact of both the individual who is working towards recovery as well as those who are there supporting is substantial. This is true whether it is during the addiction, throughout the recovery process or after the official recovery process and a new life has begun. We can never underestimate the importance of recognizing the need for one another. That fresh start that all who have or are dealing with addiction comes by replacing the following:

  • Pride with humility
  • Excuses with empowerment
  • Anger with love
  • Selfishness with Self-awareness
  • Pain with Peace

It won’t be easy but it seems that the majority of the things that bring us the greatest happiness and feeling of accomplishment take effort. Whether you maybe the recovering addict or part of the support team of a recovering addict, know that a fresh start is necessary and will bring new hope. It will bring with it the desire to focus on who you can become. Let the lessons you learn be ones that allow you to reach your full potential. You can do it.

You are a HERO!

[1] “In Search of Treasure,” Ensign, May 2003, 20.

Seth Saunders Leadership, Value

A Great Post About Values

This is such a powerful and spot on article about values.

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/activity-6973832414087311360-k_X8?utm_source=post_nba&utm_medium=member_ios&utm_campaign=share_via

Seth Saunders Leadership, Learning

Overcoming Obstacles

Overcoming Obstacles | Mental Toughness Boot Camp

How do you see obstacles in your life? Do they cause anxiety, depression, frustration, and sadness? If you answered to any of those feelings, congratulations, your human. Now, how do you handle obstacles in your life? I try to run from them, I don’t address them hoping the just go away, I freeze, I find ways to overcome them, I reach out to others to help me, I just give up? Again, if you answered yes to any or all of these, congratulations, you are human.

I have always been a huge Michael Jordan fan and he stated the following:

“Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.”

I love how he simply states that obstacles don’t have to stop you. The key is to try and understand how you can overcome the obstacles you will encounter. Here are some thoughts/ideas on you can overcome obstacles:

Acknowledge the obstacle: It is critical that when you encounter an obstacle in your life to acknowledge the obstacle. To to do this you must take a look at how it came into your life, what was the circumstance, what does it involved and who does it involve. Being able to understand these items will give you a feeling of control of the situation. The sooner you can feel like you are in control of the situation, the quicker you can start to think about ways to overcome the obstacle.

Eliminate the noise: If you think about it, when obstacles come in your life one of the main reason for the feelings I mentioned at the beginning of this post enter your life is because you cannot focus on what is happening. This is usually because of the noise that is taking place in your life. In order to address what is going on, you must eliminate the noise. This may be removing yourself from a situation, taking a break from what you are doing to give yourself time to think, doing some type of meditation, whatever works for you to eliminate the noise.

Focus on what you can control: There is no doubt that we all like to be in control. This is especially important when we encounter obstacles. Being in control allows for better clarity of what needs to be done. When you focus on things you can’t control, you only increase your feelings of frustration and this can often lead to feelings of giving up. There will be times when you feel like you cannot control anything but at the end of the day, you can control how you feel. And as is often said, when you control how you feel, you can control how you act. I have often found writing things down helps me understand what I can and cannot control when dealing with an obstacle.

What Is a Growth Mindset? And How Do I Develop It?

Mindset is key: You may or may not have heard about the concept of Growth Mindset vs Fixed Mindset. Simply put, if you have a Growth Mindset, you embrace challenges and persist in the face of obstacles while on the other hand, if you have a Fixed Mindset, you avoid challenges give up easily when faced with obstacles. As you can quickly see, how you think will impact every aspect of how you act. Thus, it is imperative to have a growth mindset in order to effectively overcome obstacles.

Notice that no where did I say overcoming obstacles in your life is easy, the truth is, its not. However, when you develop what works for you, overcoming obstacles becomes an empowering part of your life. You will find ways to learn more about who you are and what you value in your life. Remember this, developing ways to overcome obstacles is a process. It will not happen overnight.

The fact that you have read this block post means you believe in yourself and want to make good things happen so let me simply say, you’ve got this, you are amazing and there is truly no obstacle you cannot overcome.

Be A Hero