How do you keep going when things don’t work out right…  When it seems like it is not worth it to keep going…

That Promotion that overlooked you.  That person that hurt you or let you down.  That nagging memory or heavy feeling you just can’t shake.

Discouragement, Disappointments, Depression… I call these the 3 Deadly D’s because left unchecked they have the ability to drain you of all energy, motivation and worst of all hope.

I write this as someone who is prone to discouragement.  I have had seasons of depression and nearly unshakable heaviness.  I have massive amounts of empathy for anyone who shares these tendencies.  So I write this not as a theoretician in an ivory tower, or as a mere intellectual pundit or observer.  Rather I write as one who knows the draining and life sucking power of these highly powerful emotions and mental states.

I also do not write as a clinical physician or psychiatrist, but rather as a coach who has learned the power of mindset and positive thinking.  As one who has learned to move on and shake off sullenness.

You see I have been there. I have had major disappointments in my life.  In 2016 I left a comfortable job at a church to step out and risk failure (big failure) in another city.  Let me tell you, it went as downhill as the road that led to the church building.  Not only did it not work out, but I ended up having to move my family into my parents house in my mid 30’s.  

Driving Uber, facing rejection after rejection for jobs in churches, you could say I experienced disappointment.  You could also say I was discouraged.  I was by God’s grace spared from depression.

As a person of faith, I would be dishonest if I did not say it was God’s grace that sustained me.  And I can now see how His hand was leading me to where I am now, as well as how He was developing character and teaching me life skills I never learned as well as giving me greater vision for my life.

I want to share three ways to not let the Deadly D’s defeat you, so that you can defeat them!

 

Keep the big picture in mind

It is easy to focus so much on the details of our disappointments, or things that discourage us that we can lose sight of the big picture.  The more we focus on things the bigger they become.  Always remember that whatever the problem is, it is not the whole story, it is just part of a journey.

Practice positivity

Being positive will have a huge affect on how you deal with the difficulties in life.  Positivity does not downplay disappointment, but it puts it in perspective and weakens the paralyzing power of obsessing over negative situations.  Being positive is a choice, it is not based on circumstances, and it has the ability to energize you and move you on despite the thing that is prone to discourage you.

Be Optimistic

All things happens for a reason and some of life’s greatest breakthroughs come on the heels of life’s greatest heartbreaks. Positivity leads to optimism.  See opportunities where others see obstacles.  Believe that there is good ahead, victory ahead and that the future is bright.

These mindsets will be of great value as you face the discouragements and disappointments of life.