How to Rise Above Discouragement

Support, confidence...hope.

by Michael Corthell

Discouragement is part of life or we wouldn't have a word for it. So the question is, how do we tame discouragement and ultimately eliminate that feeling altogether?

''In spite of everything I shall rise again: I will take up my pencil, which I have forsaken in my great discouragement, and I will go on with my drawing.'' 
—Vincent Van Gogh

Rejection, criticism, frustration, tough obstacles and 'learning failures' are all part of the deal. There are some fortunate souls who are immune to discouragement, this writer certainly is not and I suspect that you probably aren’t either.

We must always push back the negatives in life. Push them back to the fulcrum or balance point. We do this through focused determination. Then what we need to do is recharge our motivation. It's just like resting for a day can help relieve sore muscles. Refueling our motivation and boosting our energy will immediately renew our self-confidence.

How to push back:

Be Creative Right Away. If you’re recovering from a failure or setback, getting new ideas won’t be easy. So get right back on the horse that threw you. Do something creative right now!

Listen to Your Motivational Audio Tapes. (You know, the ones you bought after you read this article.) It's a good idea to have a few motivational audio tapes for confidence reinforcement. These can help guide your thinking away from negative thoughts and steer your mind toward new ideas.

Keep on Journaling. (Oh you don't keep a journal or diary? Start one today!) Write down all your ideas. List the biggest problems you face and start thinking about solutions. Writing is better than just thinking your thoughts are more 'guidable' there. Journaling just gives you stricter control over your mind.

Review Old Goals and Plan New Ones. Go over them. Review, change goals if you have to and set new ones. Setting new goals will recharge your enthusiasm and boost your confidence. 

''Make Healthy Work''. As always, knowing that our bodies are 'organic machinery' proper maintenance is crucial to optimal function and performance. We need to be well oiled. So eat right, exercise and meditate. 

To overcome the emotional state of discouragement recognize and accept that you feel this way, and immediately make the decision to jump over it and get past it. Get back your confidence, build motivation and momentum right away. Do not wollow in self-pity over failures or set-backs—they are NORMAL and to be expected. 

Our civilization, particularly industrialized societies put so much importance on being 'happy, happy' all the time, it's easy for any of us to let a temporary set-back become a big deal. Do not let it be a BIG deal! Start small doing something creative when you get back on that horse. Always remember that you are not alone in failure. We all fail. The best fail more. Keep at it!

We all can and will get discouraged many times during our lives, but we are not a failure until we start to blame somebody else and then stop trying.

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Your Elusive Creative Genius
by Elizabeth Gilbert

Do geniuses get discouraged? Yep. But....Elizabeth Gilbert muses on the impossible things we expect from artists and geniuses -- and shares with us the radical idea that, instead of the rare person "being" a genius, all of us "have" a genius. It's a funny, personal and surprisingly moving talk. Don't be discouraged, we're all the same.