Conceding the fight

I have been a fighter my entire life.  I feel like I have been training for the next fight for years, always expecting the next shoe to drop.  I have practiced mental strength training by running head-on into situations, never yielding, never slowing.

I have been a single mom, faced no money, overwhelming debt, and adversity.  Some of my challenges have been brought on by my own choices, some not.  All of this has taught me to fight, push, and pull.

All these years of fighting have turned me hard, untrusting, unyielding, and stubborn.  I no longer know how to succumb, concede, and accept because I only know how to fight. In turn, this makes my expectations of myself and others high, higher than what is reasonable.  I have become difficult to and judgmental.  I wanted to understand how to stop fighting and lessen my stress and fully live.  I found a great website on conceding and defeat and found it relevant (https://medium.com/the-mission/how-to-concede-7aa994600f17).

1.     Thank the process:  I am thankful for where I am and my strong mental state.  I am resilient and can be genuine for others.  Without my past, I would not be strong for my future.

2.     Be accountable: I accept responsibility for my emotions, my behaviors, and my reactions.  I cannot blame others for my behavior.

3.     Show deep gratitude: I would not be where I am today without my experiences.  Some experiences were good and some bad, but they made me who I am today.  I am proud of who I am.  For this, I am grateful.

4.     Turn losing into learning: As long as I am learning from my experiences, I am growing.

5.     Turn learning into teaching: By acknowledging my past, my experiences, and my reactions, by taking accountability, by learning and growing, I keep moving forward.  It is up to me to pass my learning and understanding to others in a supportive and loving manner.

6.     Take pride in small successes: I may not get it right all the time, but I learn from my past and make better decisions for the future.  For this, I am proud.

7.     Cross the next start line, keep going: When I have a setback, the best thing to do is learn from the experience and keep going. 

It is ok to stop pushing.  Sometimes letting go is the best thing to do for your well-being.