That’s exactly what happened to me when I got hurt in my first game as an NFL player for the Chicago Bears, forcing me to confront the reality of overcoming adversity. I was depressed and didn’t talk to any friends or family members for at least two weeks. My life changed forever though when I reluctantly agreed to speak at a leadership event, a decision that became a pivotal moment in my journey of overcoming adversity.

That night, I learned a valuable lesson. When failure knocks you down and you are depressed and feeling unworthy, as if there is no way out, you absolutely must get up and get moving! Throughout the years I have had the great privilege to train and work with some of the most amazing sales organizations in the world, and to me, sales is one of the best examples of overcoming adversity through increased action.

As a salesperson, you are going to get told “no” more than you are going to get told “yes.” For most people, this is tough to deal with. Let’s face it, nobody likes rejection. The average salesperson hates how they feel when they are told “no” so they end up making less calls, visiting less prospects and doing enough to just get by and keep their jobs.

Unfortunately, that doesn’t just apply to salespeople, as ordinary folks from all walks of life face similar challenges when it comes to overcoming adversity during tough times.

On the other side of the spectrum you have the salesperson who continues to make more and more money regardless of how bad the economy is. The value they bring to both the marketplace and their companies is astonishing. Everyone asks them how they do it, looking for some magical answer or secret, but in reality they aren’t doing anything else except constantly taking massive action, even when the going gets tough.

The best salespeople understand that if they made 30 calls the previous day and received 30 no’s, then they have to make 60 calls the following day to possibly get that one yes. Increasing your action when overcoming adversity can be a complete game changer for you. It will bring far more results than taking the easy way out. What happens when you increase action is you increase the chance of opportunities coming your way.

It’s nearly impossible to defeat someone who is committed to overcoming adversity by getting back up and continuing the fight. Regardless of how devastating your failure is or how much it has you in the gutter, if you are willing to promise to never get complacent and settle, failure and the hard times of life will never be able to place you in the box of mediocrity that paralyzes so many people and prevents them from tapping their inner greatness.

Some of the world’s greatest achievers weren’t necessarily more talented, they just never gave up when they got knocked down on their faces. Whatever it is, just get moving. The whole moral behind increasing your action is to take complete charge of what’s to come, proving that overcoming adversity is within your control.

Most of the time when someone experiences a major failure, they just sit back and wait for life to happen. Over time you will quickly learn that this way of living serves no purpose.

I didn’t know the profound impact that speaking at the leadership event would have on me after my injury. That experience became a defining moment in overcoming adversity, helping me look at failure in a different light. It’s all because I made the decision to get out of bed, stop feeling sorry for myself and get moving.

One thing that you need more of when failure knocks you down is self-confidence. Taking massive action does exactly that. Failure in itself becomes a graveyard for so many. The fear of failure grows so strong that any chance of getting started is beyond a long shot. The likelihood of pursuing a dream or passion in life is slim to none.

Failure combined with inaction is extremely deadly and will completely rob you of doing any meaningful work. One of the best things you can do for yourself right now is to decide that you won’t wait for things to be perfect, because things will never be perfect. One of the most surefire ways to change how you feel and truly begin the process of overcoming adversity is to simply get moving.

Originally Posted on Entrepreneur.com

The post Overcoming Adversity appeared first on Matt Mayberry.

Forget the violence.

Forget the disappointment.

Forget the hate.

Forget the doubt.

Forget the self-diminishing thoughts.

Forget everyone who has ever doubted you or done you wrong.

Forget everything that brings you down to a lesser version of yourself.

Forget the negative junk!

For a brief moment, take your mind completely away from all of the negativity. Focus on all of the positive and promising possibilities instead. Remind yourself of how much you are capable of doing in this lifetime. Direct your energy and focus on the daily process of becoming the best version of yourself for this very day.

And if you can’t see all of the wonderful possibilities for your life, then start speaking them into existence. Plant the seeds now!

All too often, worry and anxiety creep in and steal our joy and power. We forget how powerful we really are. Have you ever observed that young children are brimming with joy and wake up each day eager to experience the world? This is because, as children, we are not susceptible to seeing the world’s negative aspects. We have no idea what is actually occurring around us, and our imaginations are limitless. Instead of wishing we were young children again, we can tap into the power that all children possess by being more deliberate about where we direct our daily attention.

It’s massively important to turn your attention away from the mess. Instead, remind yourself of all the blessings in your life. The possibilities for your future. What do you admire most about life? What excited you as a young child that you no longer care about and have turned your back on?

Where we direct our focus is the direction in which our lives will move. If we continue to focus on everything that is going wrong, that’s exactly where our lives will go. But when we choose to look at the blessings, more good will come our way.

Forget the negative junk!

The post Forget The Negative Junk appeared first on Matt Mayberry.

Maybe you just got out of a really long relationship.

Maybe you visited the doctor for a routine checkup to find out you have cancer.

Maybe a loved one recently passed away.

Maybe you’re in financial trouble.

Whatever it is you are facing right now, please understand this: The more you focus on and discuss something, the greater its significance in your mind. The more it dominates your mind, the more it dominates your entire life.

Instead of focusing on the negative and telling ourselves how bad things are, we have to make a strong stand and say, “No, this challenging situation is not going to bring me down. I am not going to let fear override all of the beauty that surrounds me. I am blessed and highly favored. I am a victor, not a victim.”

Even if we can’t see how things will play out, we have to start speaking victory over our lives, not defeat. Tough times don’t last forever, but tough people endure the test of time.

The post Do This One Thing During Tough Times appeared first on Matt Mayberry.