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Finding Your Heart

 


Finding Your Heart

Losing heart is defined as feeling overcome by doubt and other feelings that you cannot accomplish something you set out to do.  I often write about sports and use them as an analogy because I have spent three fourths of my adult life as a football and wrestling coach.  I have seen so many young people lose heart as they prepared, practiced and competed.  Most of the time people lose heart because it gets hard, things are not going the way they were envisioned and that will  make someone quit. Adults often lose heart in relationships, jobs, family obligations and other activities. 

A job gets tough so they quit because the boss is a jerk.  A marriage gets rocky so they quit and walk away.  Life gets tough and deals hard blows such as cancer, sickness, health issues and personal problems.  Have you ever quit on something or watched a person quit.  Did you give a true effort or did you just walk away because it felt like too much was at risk to overcome it.  

I had a wrestler one time that was a state champ one year and went undefeated in the process.  The next season, he lost a close match on a mistake that he made and basically was done at that point.  He went from a state champion to barely placing in the states the next season.  Losing heart in life cannot happen like that, we have to fight back and stand up to setbacks or life will wear us out.

When it got tough and didn’t go his way he quit.  He decided it wasn’t worth it anymore and that he had nothing more to gain.  I say that he had even more to gain, because in my opinion it is not how we deal with winning in life, but how  we deal with losing and setbacks.  I wanted so badly for him to see in his heart that he still had it, that he could still finish strong.  But I could not do that for him, he had to do it for himself.  I am sure you have stories of losing heart and probably finding heart.  

I came up with a plan for finding your heart when you feel like quitting, giving up, rolling over, throwing in the towel and all those other sayings.  This will be a short list and simple to follow.  No-one can help you gain your desire to succeed, compete, and overcome life but yourself along with God’s guidance.  Too often we try to do it on our own and we fail.  It gets hard so quitting or letting go is the easy way out, or so it seems to be.

1- Prepare for life, competition, relationships and jobs like you are losing.  Not preparing for setbacks and knowing that at some point it will happen is dangerous.  Do not believe your own press, do not be vain and prideful.  Prepare as if you are in second place and not on top.  I tell my wrestlers to train like they are losing and have ten seconds to come back and win the match. 

2- Stand up to the challenges that arise.  Stand strong, fight for it, be an overcomer and show the world that you will not back down.  Take the challenge head on and attack it.  If the main goal is no longer in reach, back it down to plan B and fight for it.

3- Never, Ever Give Up- When I was a kid my dad wrote a quote in my baseball glove that said “winners never quit and quitters never win”.  He was telling me that losing heart, giving up, rolling over and allowing life to kick me in the teeth was unacceptable.  It is unacceptable in sports, in relationships and with God.  Never give up and fight to the finish line.  If you come up short, well at least you can walk away with your head high and your heart intact.

4-If It is important, then fight like hell for it. As a former peer and really good buddy of mine once said. Don’t talk about it, be about it!  You can talk a good game, write up a great plan and be all swollen chest until “you know what” hits the fan.  Then people will see who you really are, how tough you can be, how persistent and dedicated to your heart.  Kick life in the teeth and win, overcome, be great, challenge it and grow.

Lastly, seek God’s wisdom always.  He would never quit on you so why would you quit on him. God knows that human nature is to let go, give up, walk away and lose heart.  But God also knows that the measure of a man is not how he reacts to setbacks, but how he overcomes them.  

Psalm 37:4, Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Psalm 51:10, Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.

Lord, I pray for your guidance and help when life is tough and I want to quit.  When I want to lose heart and not seek a solution.  When I think walking away, giving up and letting it win is the best option. Please fill me with dedication, discipline and desire to be my very best and never, ever give up. Just as you would never, ever give up on me.  Amen
faith, family, friends, life

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