Have you ever said to yourself, “I’ll never be able to do that. I’m too old, or too frail, or too weak or too (you fill in the blank). Well, don’t you believe it. Because if that’s what you really believe, if that’s the story you tell yourself, then very likely it’s your truth
You and I both have seen people who are faced with a mental or physical challenge, give up on any improvement before they’ve even started, because they can’t picture themselves as able to overcome the obstacles. They tell themselves they can’t, so they don’t.
Yet, we’ve all seen pictures of military veterans for example, who have come back home without legs, who have become champion runners on prosthetic legs, or others who participate in wheelchair basketball or other physical activities where they have dealt with, or overcome, physical limitations in a positive way. Many of us have seen weak and frail seniors who have recovered their posture or other frailties by believing that it’s possible, making a plan, and then going out and doing it through sheer will.
Remember the actor, Christopher Reeve, who played Superman in the film? He was thrown from a horse, was paralyzed from the neck down and unable to breath without a respirator. By sheer belief in his own capacity, and after years of trying and trying again and not giving up, was able to gradually move parts of his body and was gradually on his way to recovery when sadly, he passed away before he had the chance to fully succeed. But he was on his way to recovery through belief, will, action, and of course, medical supervision. The story of his ordeal is a case study in the powers of self-belief, willpower, perseverance and physical effort. He said in an interview:
“Who knows why an accident happens? The key is what do you do afterwards. There is a period of shock, and then grieving, with confusion and loss. After that, you have two choices. One is to stare out the window and gradually disintegrate. And the other is to mobilize and use all your resources, whatever they may be, to do something positive. That is the road I have taken. It comes naturally to me. I am a competitive person and right now I am competing against decay. I don’t want osteoporosis or muscle atrophy or depression to beat me.”
That should be a message to all Seniors, no matter what your current physical condition.
I’ve seen seniors recover and maintain strength and mobility through sheer belief in themselves and taking the action necessary to accomplish it.
If you don’t believe you can “Come Alive” again, then you probably won’t. It’s a matter of the stories that you tell yourself about yourself that make the difference. As the well known personal development leader, Tony Robbins, often says, “Change the stories you tell yourself, and change your life”. If you tell yourself you’re too old, or too far gone, to be able to do what you really want to do, then it probably won’t happen, UNLESS, you change those stories and re-frame your mindset about what you can or cannot do from why you can’t to how you can.
Will you have setbacks and failures along the way? Probably. But I remember the words of an old acquaintance, motivational speaker Willie Jollie who used to say that “a setback is setup for a comeback.” I believe church leader Joel Osteen also used the quote. Remember too, that failures enroute to a destination are the best learning experiences one can have.
So take a close look at the stories you have been telling yourself. Picture/imagine what it is you want to accomplish, truly believe that it is possible, and then take the action necessary to make it happen. You’ll be amazed at the outcome. You’ll become a believer.
Thank you for reading this SeniorFlow Moment.