Setbacks into Comebacks

You feel like you have some direction, the road traverses through different terrain and scenery, you may even cop some friendly fire, but by and large you are well on your way down the path.....to what exactly is the question?

Your intestinal fortitude aka mode of transport has been serving you well....you've overcome some difficulties, graduated some levels, even negotiated family challenges and you can see the road lead to the horizon...oh how pleasant it is.

But all of a sudden, the brakes fail..you're heading downhill on a narrow one way road with danger at either side, you life and all that you held dear starts zipping by. nanoseconds. and your world is different. you pull the handbrake to no avail..you jam the gear into reverse only for it to spark and catch fire...good God...holy shit, i'm in trouble.

these moments can via a phone call, a letter, a discussion, broken contracts, broken promises, lost love, a certain outcome that suddenly is taken from you, and life, again, becomes the great leveller.

how do you ever begin to find the air....the energy the will, to start to try again....what if this isn't the first time. or 8th time...or...you've lost count?

but here is your first positive....you're still here. Yep. smile. you're above ground. if you're unsure of that, take a walk through a cemetery, see the lives (and potential) that have passed on. If that doesnt work visit a nursing home for a day...volunteer, it will be good for those you visit and good for your soul. but what is guaranteed is you will come across regret. Regret that someone can no longer do anything about, and the learnings you can take from that alone are worth the admission.

So here are some observations that have greatly helped me and just might be of value to you (And by no means exhaustive):

1. forgive and be kind to your self.

2. see and own who you really are. this will take time. do a soul inventory.

3. circle the wagons. surround yourself with a few trusted loved ones and friends who will always speak truth, and will walk the journey with you. this will greatly assist point 2.

4. cut the deadwood in your life, including negative influences and people.

5. forgive and seek forgiveness where necessary and where possible.

6. joy starts now. not the attainment or acquisition of something or someone. the 'destination' may never arrive the way you want it. every day truly is a gift. embrace it. make these moments really count, and every person you meet will sense this.

7. help yourself by helping someone. we need to reach up (Mentor). have our peers around us and then also be able to reach down to help someone who may not be able to help themselves.

8. enjoy the small incremental successes, and don't allow yourself to be devastated by any backward steps. every vehicle needs reverse within its gear selectors for very good reason.

9. increase your level of genuine gratitude. plug into your faith, the reason why you do exist, and let the thankfulness of your life invade those around you. this alone can be life changing.

10. truly enjoy your life. smile. take a left turn when you might always go right. party on a monday night. rest on the weekend. drink a shiraz. do things you normally wouldn't. engage and experience this wonderful life. we all have a moment in time to discover, and as we discover, we also forge our own paths. i truly believe the impact you can have, dreams reached, lives changed, satisfaction had, joy felt, will be more than you and I can ever have hoped for.