Overcoming Discouragement

Topic: Life Lessons

If you’ve been on this patriot/saving America from communism journey for any period of time and you haven’t felt discouraged at all, I would love to know what your secret is because for me feeling discouraged is just part of the process. We’re on a bit of an emotional roller coaster from hell and some days are definitely worse than others, but I have learned that it’s what you do with that feeling that makes or breaks you.

So what do you do when you feel down in the dumps? How do you pull yourself out of the funk? Some days the headwinds against you are stronger than others and the funk seems almost too much to bear. What do you do then?

First it’s important to recognize that feeling discouraged is normal. Our emotions are something we cannot control, but the action that we take based on our emotions is completely within our control. There are only 2 things that you and I can control on a daily basis.

1. Our own actions

2. Our own attitude

Once you come to that realization and learn to accept the fact that feeling like quitting is just part of the journey to success in any endeavor, it makes dealing with the defeated emotions feasible. John Maxwell, a very prominent leadership author, wrote a book that I read years ago called Sometimes You Win, Sometimes You Learn.

That’s my outlook on this entire patriot movement. The only way we lose is if we quit. We didn’t get into the situation we’re in overnight, and the fix isn’t going to happen overnight either. Most people have no idea how hard and how long our founding fathers fought for our freedom. Prior to signing the Declaration of Independece in 1776, they tried for 11 years to negotiate with King George III from Britain and he fought them at every turn. Sound familiar?

So finally they pulled the rip cord and said enough is enough. Fifty-six men out of the three million colonists were willing to sign their death warrant, which became our cry for freedom, a redress of grievances to the King that they were simply not willing to back down from… the Declaration of Independence. They all knew exactly what they were doing when they signed it, and they risked it all for the cause of freedom. We are doing the same exact thing today and we can’t allow temporary discouragement to cause us to throw in the towel.

But what are some practical things you can do to fight what I call, The Funk?

• Laughter is food for the soul. I have a Pinterest account that I rarely use anymore accept for when I need a good laugh. I created a board called Things That Make Me Laugh for days when The Funk is strong and I need to pull myself out. Here are just a couple things that crack me up to look at every.single.time.

I bet at least one of these made you laugh. Or now you think I have a really weird sense of humor. Either way, you probably feel a little bit better now. The lesson here is find something that makes you laugh, save it, and go back to it on days when The Funk is strong.

• Guard your association. Surround yourself with encouraging, like minded people who know how to strengthen you when you’re down, and avoid the Negative Nancy’s at all costs. We’re in a war, and we simply don’t have time to spend with people who just don’t get it and will do everything in their power to bring us down. Cut the cord and find good, positive association. They’re out there. You just have to connect.

• Develop a reading habit. 20 years ago in my business career I was taught that leaders are readers and I HATED reading. That’s why I became an engineer. After high school I didn’t want to have to read another book ever. Then I made a career change and my mentor told me that if I wanted to be successful I needed to develp a habit of reading for my own personal development… 15 minutes a day. That was it. Begrudgingly, I listened to him, and it was honestly the best thing I’ve ever done. Sometimes when The Funk is strong, we just need some answers to something we’re struggling with. There is a book written to solve literally every single problem on the planet and if you make a habit of reading, you’re more likely to search for answers in a book rather than at the bottom of a bottle.

• Exercise. I recently started going to the gym with my husband and what a difference it is making. Sometimes I’m on my way in, angry as all get out from hitting brick walls all day long, and the workout provides a release of all the negativity. I always feel better after a good, angry workout.

• Get educated. Understanding real American history is probably one of the most constructive things you can do at this moment in time. We are the ultimate underdog story. Eight out of every ten battles fought in the Revolutionary war were won by the British. Yet, against all odds and with God on our side, we pulled out a victory. The war was eight years long… 8 years!! And we’re discouraged after fighting the stolen election for a year and a half. Perspective is everything. Education is key and the fix is local.

  

• Spend time in the Word and strengthen your faith. I recommend doing a daily devotional to soak up the Word of God and strengthen your spirit man. Because of our sin nature, we will forever be at odds with our flesh, and the only way to combat that is to fill your mind with scripture. Here is one of my all time favorites:

  

  From Faith to Faith: A Daily Guide to Victory by Kenneth Copeland

Final Thought:
Everyone gets stuck in The Funk at one point or another. It’s knowing how to get out that is crucial.

“How we think when we lose determines how long it will be until we win.” —G.K. Chesterton

“Ninety percent of those who fail are not actually defeated; they simply quit. … As you face bad experiences, it’s important for you to remember that you can rarely see the benefits while you’re in the midst of them. You usually gain perspective on the other side of it.” —John Maxwell

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