Ah, the grind. Termed by the our generation to describe what we know as ‘work’.
We are all on ‘the grind’ every day. Every day you wake up, (hopefully) brush your teeth, head to school or work and probably don’t think much else is different this Tuesday than last Tuesday.
All that you know is that you are on the grind. You are doing what you are supposed to be doing, as a responsible individual, to pay the bills – get your education – or support your family. The grind has a definite negative connotation to it – but it doesn’t have to be this way.
Some of us are lucky to be in a position where we enjoy our day to day grind – others less fortunate. Some of us feel stuck in life. We’re persevering, but not because we want to – because we have to. Let’s flip the switch on that – start to persevere because you have within you an ulimited power to persevere - not because you have to.
Here are 3 of the most common reasons why people get stuck in the grind and how to get yourself out of it.
1. You Are The Victim Of Life’s Circumstances
“Men are anxious to improve their circumstances, but are unwilling to improve themselves” -James Allen
I don’t know what your situation is. I can’t even begin to paint a picture of what you are going through or have gone through. There is no ‘magic solution’ that makes all your problems go away – despite what some may tell you. But here’s something big: you have the power to overcome ANY situation. It’s not easy, but you can alter the perception of your circumstance. Instead of being defeated every day – get in the mindset that you’re going to take the offensive and attack your day – overcoming any and all obstacles in your way. Stop the negative self-talk and become stronger than your circumstances. This is how humans overcome even the most dire of odds. Think Mandela, Gandhi or Anne Frank. Something else that’s very important: you can’t improve your circumstance without being willing to first improve yourself. Your world on the outside is a reflection of how you think on the inside – simple as that (more posts to come on this).
2. You Beat Yourself Up Over Every Mistake
“I’m such an idiot”, “I’ll never get this” and “I just can’t do this” were part of my self-talk vocabulary (and occasionally still are). What does this result in? It limits my ability to overcome whatever it is that is frustrating me. There is no room for this if you are trying to be successful. The person you talk to in your head (no not the crazy imaginary friend) is YOU. What you say to yourself on a daily basis defines how you feel about yourself. I didn’t believe this until I made a concerted effort to lift myself up through encouraging words instead of consistently beating myself down – it takes a toll on you. Sure, every now and then I’m quite hard on myself – “quit being so weak!’, but I try to ensure it’s always for a positive result. Positive always overcomes negative, always.
3. We Only Think About Ourselves
Today, give a stranger one of your smiles. It might be the only sunshine he sees all day. -Quoted in P.S. I Love You, compiled by H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
My mom always told me if we put others before ourselves than we in turn become better for it. Part of our problem, and a cultural problem, is that we are all becoming too selfish – human’s didn’t thrive because we only looked out for ourselves – we looked out for each other. What I have learned, and I am very much a work in progress, is that doing just one random act of kindness for a stranger makes me feel good. I am still very ego-centric, but this is something I know I must continually be aware of to become selfless. While the world does seem to revolve around you – we know it doesn’t. By helping others we’re helping ourselves – and if you still want to be selfish about it – it does benefit you in the long run. Encourage a child, open the door for a stranger or give an unexpected tip where exemplary services were rendered – you’ll make that persons day and your own that much brighter – and more importantly – get you out of your “me against the world” life. We’re all in this together, let’s make a movement for the better.
It’s not easy – but it is possible
Remember – none of this is ‘easy’. It takes dedication and awareness of our thoughts to change them from negative and self-defeating to positive and action oriented. And that takes time – just like developing any new habit. We just have to want to live a better, more productive and fulfilling life more than we want to live a depressing, anxiety ridden one … when you put it like that – who wouldn’t want to even at least TRY?
