Be Your Own “Invincible Summer”

With the new year well underway, people tend to find themselves reevaluating where they are in life more frequently than they do during those warm summer months. Perhaps because of the colder weather and dreary landscape, the non-summer months seem to be a natural time for introspection.

The shorter days, limited time outside and post-holiday letdown might prompt some people to focus on the goals they have not reached: they haven’t found that new job, finished that college degree or dropped those 20 pounds.

While this melancholy is probably experienced to some degree by everyone, one remarkable trait differentiates those who take stock and move forward from those who take stock and stand still. This trait is the ability to recognize your own potential. Don’t let the dreariness of the winter and early spring months dampen what lives inside of you. As Albert Camus said, “In the midst of winter, I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer.”

Be your own sunshine and optimism. Once you have identified a goal you would like to reach, create a plan to get there.

First, make sure your goal is realistic. You probably aren’t going to lose 20 pounds in two weeks and maintain your health. Instead, your goal could be to improve your health.

Second, identify steps to take to help you get there. Baby steps work much better in reaching goals than one giant step. Perhaps you could add a supplement to your diet to start you on the right path. Then add in some healthy eating and moderate exercise.

Third, and most importantly, believe in yourself. You have the potential to achieve your goals. Start each day with a positive statement about yourself. Optimism is a choice. Commit to staying on the path to your goal – and you will find the summer inside yourself.