Article by Wendy McCance

Life is hard.  It’s true, there is no other way to put it than to say it like it is.  Life is damn hard!  It takes courage, determination, focus, skill, lessons learned, changes taken and sheer bravery to tackle your dreams.  Some things will come easy and other things will be tough.  But, do you give up?  Are you the type who can see a dream and persevere?

You only get one life.  What is the life you envision for yourself?  Can you look past the roadblocks and move forward or do you give up because you don’t know how you would possibly move past an obstacle?  Do you take care of yourself and treat yourself well or do you tend to take better care of others than you do for yourself?

Why is it that taking care of yourself is such a difficult thing to achieve?  Think about the dreams that you have for yourself that have faded with time.  How often do you exercise, eat well and get enough sleep?  What type of people do you allow in your life?  Do you have a good circle of people around you or do you have toxic relationships?

You only get one life!  It’s a mantra that needs repeating.  Who wants to get to the end of their life and look back with regret?  My daughter was talking with me the other day about her dream to become a dancer.  She asked me if it was normal to have highs and lows.  She wanted to know if it was okay to have days when she felt burnt out.  She was afraid that if she had a few days where she needed to take a break from thinking about dance that meant she wasn’t passionate enough about it.

When you challenge yourself, it doesn’t matter if you want to turn a hobby into a career or if you want to run a 5k or if you are trying to lose a few pounds.  You will have moments when you are moving full steam ahead.  You will see the end result and you will push yourself to get there.  There will also be days where you hit the wall.  You will be exhausted from trying so hard.  You will be frustrated that the results aren’t happening as fast as you would like them to.  You will have incredible highs and self-defeating lows.  It’s normal.  What you do about those low moments is what will decide your fate.  You will learn how much willpower you have and what you are ultimately capable of.

The important thing to remember is that every day is a new day, full of possibilities. You rule your life.  It’s up to YOU to create what you want to happen.  Who cares if you have an off day?  Just get back up the next day and go for it again.  Get back in the saddle enough times and you have created a habit which will be healthy and long lasting.  The more you try, the easier it gets.  The easier it becomes, the more you will accomplish.  Your confidence will rise and you will try even more to get a grip on the things that will create the happiness you desire.

So, I say to you, take care of yourself.  You will never be a good enough parent, friend, relative or co-worker if you aren’t doing the best you can for yourself.  The happier you are the more happiness you will radiate.  The more confident you are, the more confidence others will have in your abilities.  The more patience you show, the more patience you will receive from those around you.

When you have those low moments, remember that everyone has those moments. Give yourself a break.  Reexamine what direction you want to go in and challenge yourself to be the best person for yourself that you can be.

At the end of my conversation with my daughter, you could see the determination come back into her eyes.  She gave herself a break.  She was reminded of what was important and what type of life she wanted to live.  She got back up on that horse and the confidence came back.  That’s the best you can do.  Like they say, try, try again.  It will get easier with time.

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Wendy McCance

Wendy McCance is a Michigan based freelance writer and social media consultant. Wendy has gained attention as the founder of the popular blog Searching for the Happiness which can be viewed in 9 local papers online, including the Oakland Press. The combination of writing skills and social media knowledge is what makes Wendy such a powerhouse to work with. Stay tuned for opportunities to advertise, guest post and as always, have your questions answered.

To contact Wendy McCance about a writing or social media assignment, interview or speaking engagement, please email her at: [email protected]

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