last_strike

I flipped on the local baseball game the other evening with the home team down 3 runs in the bottom of the ninth inning.  There was still some hope and the crowd urged them on.  But after two quick outs, the third batter was down to his last strike.  The energy drained from the stadium and the sense of hopelessness was palpable.  The odds of winning were now miniscule and the home team was facing almost certain defeat.  How many of us have felt that same way in our own lives?

Perhaps we are far behind on our sales numbers with a few months to go in the year (Cough!).   Perhaps we have lost some clients and it seems as if the rest are ready to follow.  Perhaps our business is struggling and the cash reserves are dwindling.   Perhaps it is late in our career and we feel as though our options are limited.   Perhaps we are dodging the specter of bankruptcy.  Our breathing gets tight.  We are down to our last strike and it seems we need a miracle to turn our lives around.  How do we react?  How do we stay positive?

And the lion’s mouth opens and yer staring at his teeth…
And his jaws start closin’ with you underneath –Bob Dylan

This is not the time to curl into a ball and feel sorry for ourselves.  This is not the time to blame others for our current predicament.  This is not the time to passively accept our fate in life.  We need to stay active!  We need to move forward!  We need to step up to the plate and take a full swing at the ball!

Hunker down on your sales efforts and finish the year strong!  Even if you fall short of your goal, it will give you incredible momentum going into next year.  Re-engage your clients and try to understand their needs!  A simple  tweak to your approach could turn things around.  Re-evaluate your business plan!  There may be a whole new stream of revenue you had not previously considered.  Re-examine your skill set!  Additional training and experience might ratchet up your marketability regardless of your age.  And maintain open communication about your financial health.  If you are in trouble, talk about it and craft a plan.  As with most problems, ignoring your situation will NOT make it go away!

In life, we will always have choices to make.  Active vs. passive.  Blame vs. accountability.  Hope vs. despair.  The pitches will keep coming our way.  We cannot freeze and watch strike three rock our world.  We might as well swing for the fences!

But what happens when we take a swing and miss?  What happens when we suffer defeat despite the effort?  We are not going to win every battle.  Sometimes, we can stay positive but still lose.  Sometimes we can try our hardest and still fail.  That is okay.  Just because the game is over, does not mean the season is over.  There are so many more games left to play.  We need to saddle up and try again!

Think about the blessings in our life.  Caring family.  Loyal friends.  A firm set of moral values.  We have so much more going for us than short-term financial pressure.  We have so much more going for us than a temporarily-stalled career.  We have so much more going for us than a tactical defeat.  Our support structure will always be there for us.  Our talent and capacity to excel will always shine through in the end!

But it will not happen on its own.  If we want to turn our fortunes around, we must take ownership of our situation!  It starts with a positive attitude.  It starts with maximum effort.  It starts with a deep belief that our life will get better.  And it ends with a firm commitment to maximize our potential.  Everyone suffers a setback.  At some point, everyone feels pressure and pain.   But not everyone reacts the same way.  Step up to the plate with confidence!  Let your resiliency serve as an inspiration to all those who have suffered a defeat!  Take responsibility for your issues and proactively work towards providing a positive solution.

We hold the key to our own success.  Stay positive!  Stay resilient!  Finish strong!  We may be down to our last strike but we will not be down forever!  It is still early in the season.  Our best is yet to come.

Until next week, keep smiling!