Struggling For Success?  What To Do When Trying Harder No Longer Works

My weekly newsletter was drawing near and I didn’t have a topic to write about.  I was experiencing the good old writer’s block at the most inopportune time.  I decided to take a shower to relax my mind, knowing that nothing good can come out of stressed thinking.

I recently purchased shampoo online from watching one of those infomercials. (Yes, I’m a great consumer.  I’m a sucker for great marketing.)  My new shampoo came in a 20 oz plastic bottle with a pump lid top.  However, my pump was not working; it wouldn’t come up to pump.  I turned it 20 times to the right, 20 times to the left, I pulled it up, I pushed it down, and repeated the process over and over.  After 20 minutes of trying I was completely frustrated and pissed off.

Angry thoughts were running through my head.
“What a stupid bottle and a stupid company to give me such a thing.”
“This is ridiculous, I’ve never had a problem with a shampoo container.”
“They better not charge me to ship out a new one.”

Then came the imaginary conversation with their customer service representative.
“No, it’s not me, it’s the bottle.”

I suddenly gained conscious awareness of my maddening thoughts. I put down the shampoo bottle. I became present to the anxiety and frustration within me and decided that in order for me to succeed I needed to flip the situation.

The goal – To get the pump of my shampoo bottle working.

I released the anger and the negative emotions, relaxed and detached myself from the outcome.  I took a deep breath and lowered my anxiety.  I picked up the bottle played with the cap a little, turned it to the right and left.  A minute later, the pump popped up.  Success.

I suddenly realized the odd relationship between life and my shampoo bottle. Often times, we try so hard to get the results we want.  We force, we push, we try different ways.  When things don’t turn out the way we want, we get angry and throw down the towel.  In those times, it’s important to breathe, relax, lower the anxiety and try again from a different state of being and a different mindset.  It is then when things begin to “pop” with ease.

Through this process of letting go, and relaxing into success, not only did I learn a brilliant lesson, but I was also able to receive the topic of this week’s article.

If you are struggling trying to find the answers or trying to make things work, change your state of being and your mindset, relax and let go.

Call Anne-Marie Lerch today to help you create more success with your goals!