Beyond the Wilderness: 4 Strategies When Life is Uphill

Positive thinking is a crushing burden when you believe it prevents adversity, resistance, and uncertainty. Everyone navigates the wilderness.

Moses spent 40 years in the desert. Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in prison. In the 1930s, Winston Churchill was marginalized because he warned England about Hitler.

The wilderness is an inner experience, not a place.

You're in the wilderness when you can't find the crest of the hill. Image of a person at the top of a hill.

You’re in the wilderness when:

You’re in the wilderness when you can’t find the crest of the hill. Our home is surrounded by hills. You sigh when you make it to the top of steep hills. Your feet feel lighter.

In barren lands your knees shake, and you moan more than you sing. The future feels dark when you can’t find the shade.

4 strategies when life is uphill:

#1. Small acts of defiance.

Nelson Mandela asserted his power by walking a little slower than his guards wanted. Our need for dramatic results defeats us when hurricanes persist.

#2. Slow down – don’t sit down.

There’s a three-mile loop from our house that feels all uphill. I remember one windy day when it felt like the gods opposed me with headwinds. It felt like a battle. When possible, keep going.

Skillful quitting: “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.  Then quit.  There’s no point in being a fool about it."   Image of W.C. Fields

#3. Change course.

“If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.  Then quit.  There’s no point in being a fool about it.”   Attributed to W.C. Fields

Life changes when it must. Don’t throw in the towel. Adjust the sails. Adapt.

#4. Clarify values.

Disconnecting from values is barrenness of your own making. Know what’s important and bind it to your heart.

It’s hard to stand when you lose touch with something to stand for.

Warning: The deadliest wilderness is self-imposed by self-accusation. Write the words of your inner critic on a piece of paper and throw it away.

Which suggestion listed above seems most relevant to you today?

What suggestions to you have for navigating the wilderness?

Still curious:

Master Your Inner Critic

Tom Rath on Getting the Most From Adversity

10 proven ways on how to overcome adversity in life (tonyrobbins.com)