Up, Up & Away!

A champion does it like he loves it, even when he doesn’t. ~Mike Tyson

Opinion

By: Shlomo Fishman

Capital Recreation is in business to make recreation accessible to all. I am not here to tell you the what, the who, and the when. I am here to support and encourage your positive behaviors. I am a Certified Recreational Therapist (CTRS) breaking down barriers to leisure and recreation participation. This blog is here as a tool to spread my personal thoughts and ideas. But most of all, to create community!

Life is full of ups and downs. When you take things personally – you want to make sure everything and everyone is taken care of. When things are going smooth, it is easy to forget that potholes and bumps do arise. My personality is one which I can get stressed, worried, and concerned easily when things go south. When things are within my control it is about swallowing my pride, apologizing, and doing everything I can to make sure all wrongs are righted. When things happen that are outside of my control, I can find it even more troublesome. Why? Because there is nothing that I can do within my ability to make it right. It feels like I am being thrown into a never-ending pit filled with jagged edges and venomous snakes abound. So how do I keep myself moving forward? Let me explain with a few simple steps.

Allow yourself to feel.

Take stock in the moment. Allow yourself to feel what the other person is feeling. Even if it is hard to do. But don’t hold on for too long…. You don’t want the negative experience to fester and grow out of control. But do allow yourself to understand and feel what the other is experiencing.

Deep breathing.

Get oxygen to your mind. Many times, when I get stressed, my breathing becomes shallow, and it can be hard to think clearly. Once you allowed yourself to feel, take time to recover with some deep breathing. This will calm you down, think more clearly, and allow yourself to move forward from the negative experience.

Do something you love.

Then it’s as simple as doing something you can be proud of. From what I have heard, our brains can think of one thing at a time. After a negative experience it is time to flip the coin and get yourself back on track. Do something you can be proud of!  

I hope with all my heart, that when obstacles and hurdles do arise you have the tools within to get you over the top.  

I always love hearing from you and your personal journey. Share your moments of growth and success on social media using the hashtag #shlomotrained

Until next time – peace, and virtual fist bump going your way!