Show Up! No Matter What
At every turn of life’s path, challenges, setbacks, and calls to tap out — where staying in the game feels like the last thing we want to do — often lie between us and our goals. So how can we avoid losing our resolve? Quite simply: continue showing up.
“Do what you got to do”
You can call it perseverance, but it’s not just an attribute. It’s something you do, it’s a habit, an ingraining activity. You don’t see it as much as you feel it, and it’s FULL ON — you keep going when the going gets tough; you keep doing it even when things get so hard you don’t think you can. This is not superhero stuff, nor is it perseverance when everything’s difficult because there’s too much pressure and struggle that’ll wear you down. You sense the hurdles, you feel the opposition, but you don’t give up.
I’ve been having some bad days myself of late — managing a job with long hours and lots of responsibility, along with an array of personal things that need to be done, and still keeping up with the writing, when there have been many days when it was hard to find a second wind through exhaustion, and when the weight on my shoulders felt immense. I kept going. I wrote anyway, even if I didn’t do it as well as I wanted to. I have to admit that it wasn’t always a great performance, I did what needed to be done, even if it felt almost impossible some days.
This resilience wasn’t rooted in obstinacy but in the development of a keen sense of the power of simply showing up. It didn’t matter if I was typing with a broken hand or gritting my teeth to battle through a mentally exhausting day, I learned that showing up was itself a powerful source of stamina.
There were days when I did not create particularly good work, and there were days when what I did create was mundane and underwhelming. Yet the greatest lesson, again and again, is that it does not matter. Showing up, engaging with the world, and engaging with the crafting materials, are always more important than the final product.
Every attempt at creating is a step forward, every bit of progress is an advancement.
How To Keep Showing Up
- Set Bite-Sized Goals: If the task feels too large, break it into smaller pieces. This will make the bulk of the work seem more manageable, and it will feel good to cross each piece off your list.
- Focus on what you’re doing well, not what you’re doing wrong: remember, doing something is better than doing nothing. As you move forward, celebrate your progress and learn from your mistakes.
- Make Supporters: Gather around people who believe in you and are constantly encouraging. This can be family, friends, or colleagues.
- Take care of yourself: Attend to your physical and mental well-being by making time for rest, relaxation, and activity.
- Be Positive & Mindful: Be positive and be in the moment. Keeping a positive attitude helps to manage stress, and keeps us in the midst of the moment.
What You Will Gain
We cannot measure the long-term significance of just showing up. It’s a powerful self-accelerator and helps build character, endurance, and confidence. It helps teach us that we are capable of more than we assume. It’s a powerful vote of confidence in our goals, and our dreams.
Ultimately, life is going to be challenging.
The pathway towards overcoming these obstacles isn’t by trying to avoid the struggle, it’s by gritting your teeth and bearing through.
Show up. For everything. Your big reward might be waiting to welcome you.
