Name a movie, that you enjoyed, that didn’t include a ‘come from behind’ situation of some kind.

Can you?

If you can, suffice it to say, you’re not normal.

Here’s my question, and I’m sincere. Right now, this is a question and I honestly do NOT have an answer.

Here’s that question: Why?

The trigger for this thought was this last year’s College Football Championship playoffs. There are 3 games played – semifinals and a final game between the two winners.

2 of those 3 games went to overtime! 

 Tens of thousands of people in the stands, millions watching on TV – all hanging on the edge of their seat waiting to see if THEIR team would be the winner through this ‘sudden death overtime’!

Everything hanging on ONE play, every play. Intense.

So – WHY then, are we hard wired to ENJOY those situations so much?

Movies, sporting events, and let’s be honest, our own lives!

See – that’s why I’m asking. A lot of clients, and myself included, seem to put things off until the last minute, and we JUUUUST pull it off in time normally.

Everything always seems to work out, doesn’t it?

BUT – why have we become addicted to that dramatic finish situation?

There’s no question, those movies, TV Shows, book, every form of entertainment (including the ‘news’) has played off this human trait. CNN and other news shows prove this beyond a shadow of a doubt… But those examples are easing into the evolved trigger for ‘watching out for dangerous stuff’ more than the ‘dramatic come from behind ending’.

So, back to the ‘come from behind ending’.

While there’s NO question, we as a society, or even a race, seem to enjoy and gravitate and manufacture those ‘come from behind’ situations.

Again, my question – WHY?

Maybe it has to do with survival? Maybe it has to do with the fact that a lot of times it seems ‘impossible to go on’, but story after story in our hero’s, and our own, lives shows us that WE CAN keep going on!!

Right? And it does normally all work out for us too, huh?

Anyway – Since I can’t answer the ‘why?’ question, maybe we should focus on what we can DO about this situation? Or better, how can we USE it to our advantage?

These are my thoughts in those regards:

First – awareness. Being aware of how we feel, where on that exciting roller coaster we are, is really important. First awareness gives us the knowledge of ‘where are we at?’. 

That empowers us to decide what to do next, in order to get where we want to go!

If you’re down and out, suffering, anxious and frustrated… well, you’re in a dip! What do you KNOW is going to happen after a ‘dip’? Maybe not in the next 15 seconds, but sometime soon, you’re going to start climbing that emotional hill! Or maybe there will be a sweeping turn coming up? Either way – something is coming that is different that where you are!

And – if you weren’t where you are, then you wouldn’t be able to ‘feel’ the rise or sweeping turn. We need those ‘dips’ in order to actually experience the great feelings coming!

Sooooo – challenge: What if you could actually feel GOOD about that ‘down’ feeling? Can you be thankful for the dip? Can you be excited that you’re feeling like giving up? Can you feel GOOOOOD about it?

Since this is already getting a bit long, I’m going to wrap it up here with the question – HOW?

How do you accomplish that good feeling?

That is what I’m researching right now – send me an email? Or comment on this post?

What are YOUR  methods for managing your dips? Have you been able to switch the dip into an excited and happy feeling yet?

What are your suggestions for others to help them set up plans and systems and activities that help us stay focused and maintain our ‘good’ feeling about being down?

Here is my strongest suggestion: Develop, and grow, the 3 Habits. I love some of the feedback I’ve received lately, stuff like this:

“I thought that mindset stuff was bullshit… I was so wrong… It’s shocking!”

Bottom line: starting with being aware you’re ‘on the ride’ is step one. Then, recognizing that the ONE thing you can decide, right now, is to ENJOY the ride, no matter what, is step two. Step 3 is recognizing and enjoying that suddenly, now that you’re enjoying the ride, it starts becoming YOUR ride instead of ‘their ride’ – and YOU attain that coveted ecstatic feeling of FREEDOM! 

If you’re interested in learning more about the 3 habits, there’s links everywhere.

Enjoy your day!