One of my favorite things to do is go the movies, buy a mountainous bucket of popcorn, usually eat all of it during the previews taking full advantage of the free refill, and escaping from my busy life. When the movie starts I instantly am engaged with the storyline. Usually it involves an unrealized hero that faces some sort of adversity. This adversity changes the way they think and motivates them to act heroically by overcoming all odds. They finally realize they are a hero. There is a reason why movies are extremely popular. They create a story that we can dive into, thinking we can be real life heroes, and then leave saying, “Dang, I wish I could be Ironman.”
Be the Hero
What most people don’t realize is that we create our very own stories in real life. They may not have the special effects or celebrities in them but they can be just as powerful. Are you telling yourself the right story? I think Henry Ford said it best, “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t, you’re right.” I would’ve begged for my money back if Ironman would’ve quit, telling us all that it was just too hard and he had better things to do.
This life you’re living is your unique story and guess what?
You’re Supposed to be the Hero
People have been telling themselves a story since they were born. Creating labels for themselves, selling themselves short, and saying they could never achieve, (insert a dream here). These people, including myself until a certain point, were telling themselves the absolutely wrong story, writing the wrong script, choosing the wrong words for their lives.
Our thoughts and words hold more power than we think. By changing the story that we tell ourselves in each situation we can realize that we are a hero. Think of a healthy habit that you have tried but failed. Maybe this was learning a new recreational sport, starting a new nutritional plan, strength training and exercising. What were you telling yourself before you started? What story did you tell yourself when you failed? What image did you visualize? My guess is that you were filled with self-doubt, telling yourself it was impossible or dumb to begin with, and classified yourself as an ordinary character.
These are normal feelings, and I can tell you that you are not alone. What we can’t do is have these initial thoughts limit us and our future achievements. You can easily change our story and become a hero with a few simple choices. And yes, I said choices! Rewrite your past experiences, choose to speak positively to yourself, continue to take action, and find someone or a group of supporters that believe in your story.
You deserve to be the hero of your life’s story, it’s time to start acting like it. Be Ironman!