The Power of a Little 'Umph' to Help You Achieve Success

Turn on the television or open a magazine, the world is full of messages that target our comfort and pleasure. The most comfortable sleep, the most indulgent chocolate, or the most relaxing accommodations- we are naturally drawn to these messages that promise us a good and enjoyable experience.

As one could well, imagine, send out a message that promises hard work, frustration, and disappointment on the way to the final product, and not many would buy-in to that pitch. It is no wonder, so many people give up so easily on the way to achieve their dreams. We have been subliminally programmed and conditioned to see discomfort as a bad thing, and therefore our minds are not conditioned for success.

I’m sure everyone has heard the phrase, “No pain; no gain.” It has become the epitome of success and perseverance quotes- but instead of a powerful and inspiring connotation, many see this as simply the negative price we must pay in order to achieve what we want.

It’s amazing how a simple shift in how no pain; no gain is stated, can affect the mind.

If instead, we hear the phrase, “The harder the struggle, the more glorious the triumph,” we instantly feel uplifted.

Instead of deriving meaning from a negative point of view, what we are losing, the focus becomes one that places a value on the pain to gain ratio.

Our mind at the subconscious level is extremely powerful, and therefore we must continually strive for a shift in perspective that can boost our productive thought- thought that will move us forward, rather than hold us back.

No pain- you can’t have, no gain- you can’t have. It may seem rather simple, but from a psychological standpoint, our mind only receives the negative message- no, you can’t have.

There are people who will argue that no pain; no gain is their mantra for success. These people are not immune to the natural negativity of the message, but rather, they have, through productive thinking, over-written the negative programming and assigned a positive message. This is achieved through perspective shifting.

To get ahead, we must most likely endure, persevere, and experience ups and downs. These aren’t bad things, but they aren’t comfortable or enjoyable, which our body is naturally wired to be attracted to. The key is to not let our struggles become our identity.

When we emphasize the negative aspects and wallow in the woes me aspects of the struggle, we block ourselves off from the reward. A shift of perspective in any negative situation is far greater than just simply putting on a happy face and seeing the glass half-full, while wearing rose-colored glasses.

Success is born from struggle and mistakes are proof that we are trying. When we can stop in the middle of what is difficult and recognize our discomfort, we can get excited. Why excited? Recognizing discomfort serves as our indicator that we are growing and that we are out of our comfort zone.

If it hurts, it means that we have pushed ourselves to the point of growing pains- which means that we are experiencing a growth spurt. A shift in perspective requires us to become cognizant that within our struggles reside our greatest opportunity to appreciate our greatness and abilities.

Les Brown continually touts, "You have greatness within," - and you do- even though it may be difficult for you to realize when going through a struggle.

We may feel like we want to give up, that it is too hard. We may feel that if we have to struggle and jump through hoops, that it is not meant to be. These are resulting thoughts from conditioned messaging that plant excuses in our minds.

Martin Luther King Jr. stated, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

Tough times call for even tougher thinking- our brain muscles will get a workout to figure out the necessary steps- and what feels great after a workout? A stretch.

Today, I challenge you to stretch yourself- the best is yet to come. We aren’t defeated when we lose. We are defeated when we quit.

Recognize that when you finally overcome that obstacle, that when you finally get through the struggle, triumph is yours. The difference between try and triumph is a just a little “umph.”

Have an awesome week!

Jolene Church is working on a doctoral dissertation in critical thinking. She is a mindfulness practitioner, success coach, and motivational speaker. Her latest book, Thinking 101: Fundamentals of a Successful Mindset, helps people break down conditioned barriers in our thinking that inhibit our success. www.SuccessfulThinkingMindset.com