#216: Be Hopeful

Doesn't it seem as if too often our thoughts float back to times in our lives when we failed at something or when a sad event occurred or to an embarrassing moment?

We know we have a myriad of happy memories of when we succeeded or were happy or performed flawlessly and were proud but the negatives are what wrongly carry the most weight. And that's wrong. It's a way of thinking we need to overcome.

I've done a lot of bowling over the past 45 years and I have had great successes, held several tournament records, perfect games and a multitude of times when I've come through under pressure.

I attribute that to HOPING to be and WANTING to be under pressure. I WANT to be the one to make the winning shot. Often I did. Sometimes I didn't. But I never gave up hope. When the game or tournament was on the line I dwelled on all of the times in the past I had made quality shots to win and simply told myself to make one more good shot. That was the objective. Not to win, per se, but to perform in a quality manner.

Often, this poem helped to calm me and to keep me focused. For me it was during competition. For all of us it is conquering our past bad eating habits and lack of exercise. For us, it is BELIEVING we can can succeed and never l0sing hope that we will.

BE HOPEFUL

Be hopeful, friend, when clouds are dark and days are gloomy, dreary,
Be hopeful even when the heart is sick and sad and weary.
Be hopeful when it seems your plans are all opposed and thwarted;
Go not upon life's battlefield despondent and fainthearted.
And, friends, be hopeful of yourself. Do bygone follies haunt you?
Forget them and begin afresh. And let no hindrance daunt you.
Though unimportant your career may seem as you begin it,
Press on, for victory's ahead. Be hopeful, friend, and win it.

Strickland Gillilan

When faced with negative thoughts or temptations we must WANT to face the pressure of thinking positively and KNOW we can make quality decisions, that we CAN and WILL perform to the best of our ability.

We must always be hopeful we CAN overcome.

We must be hopeful we CAN be win the weight loss battle.

Above all, we must always remain positive and hopeful.