Are you ready to level up?
When I was younger, I loved video games, specifically, Super Mario Brothers. Little Mario traveled his way through all sorts of obstacles and challenges, bumping into mushrooms, dodging flaming balls, and jumping on turtles, all in an attempt to rescue the princess.
I remember the sense of accomplishment when Mario achieved the next milestone, but that dopamine hit didn’t last long. As soon as I made it to the next level, the game got more difficult. The threats were greater, the challenges harder, and the next level seemed impossible. I had a couple of choices: I could keep playing the levels I’d already passed. After all, I knew the tricks and shortcuts, and every time I went through those levels, they got a little easier. Or I could try the next level where I was most certainly going to fail.
Like a video game, life is a series of challenges, obstacles, lessons, and growth. It can feel like the second you recover from one challenge, you are confronted with another. You put in the work, you learn, you grow, you overcome, yet there always seems to be another challenge ahead.
Just like a video game, life is a series of opportunities to level up.
Think of your life as a series of levels. In level 1, childhood, you learn the basics of life: How to walk, talk, eat. Quicker than you realize, you advance from one level to the next, learning to work with others, problem solve, live on your own. All the skills you learn in level 1 build in level 2. You’ll still need to know how to walk, talk, and eat in level 2, but it won’t solve all your problems. That is something we constantly forget. While the skills we’ve learned are helpful, what worked to win in level 1 and 2, won’t always work in level 3 and 4.
The same is true in any time or place of change. When your team is changing at work, you’re starting a new level. New circumstances, new skills, new challenges, new teammates. The way you’ve always done things isn’t always going to work.
Leveling up often happens without you even realizing. Once you find yourself outside of your comfort zone, feeling stuck, scared, or lost, you’ve probably leveled up. The real question is, how do you find comfort and success in this new level of your life?
Whether it is learning to walk, getting through high school (you couldn’t pay me enough to do that again), starting a new job, or building relationships, we face obstacles, learn, make a plan, and move forward. We can either play it safe and do what we’ve always done, or we can choose to tackle the next level. The only way to achieve our potential (or save the princess) is to embrace the discomfort of the unknown.
Over the next several weeks, we will look at ways to level up. So, I have two questions for you, and you can reply directly to this email with your answers:
- If your life were a video game, what game would it be?
- Where in your life would you most like to level up and why?
Leave a comment with your answers.
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Beauty is all around us. We just have to pay attention. #WednesdayWisdom ... See MoreSee Less
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This is awesome!
Amen!
Totally agree!!!
Love this!
Fabulous
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You are not alone.
If you are suffering, know that you are not alone. I know it may feel like it, but you are surrounded by a community of people that love and support you. Don’t forget to put yourself on your priority list. While it may seem overwhelming, it’s about one decision at a time. #MindfulMonday #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth #MemorialDay ... See MoreSee Less
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Just a friendly mental health check in! Happy Friday. ... See MoreSee Less
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#ThrowbackThursday to when I got my first tattoo!
I believe so strongly in the power of mindfulness to build resilience and strengthen mental well-being that I decided to get a permanent reminder.
I wanted a visual representation to remind myself to stay in the present moment. Every time I look at my tattoo, I take three deep breaths (that’s all it takes to reset your entire nervous system) and think of something I’m grateful for. ... See MoreSee Less
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My one and only is on my ankle in memory of a beloved pet. Makes me smile when I look at it.
Good idea!
Uniloam! That’s the tattoo I want in the spot I want, great minds! I love it, of course
You go!!
Share a pic of your tattoo 😃
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Almost half of us will struggle with a mental health problem in our lifetime. Everyone is impacted by mental illness.
There is a mental health crisis across the globe right now.
I am sad to see my own state of Texas unable to provide essential services to those who need them. Ninety-eight percent of Texas’ 254 counties have been partially or wholly designated by the federal government as “mental health professional shortage areas.”
As someone who lives in Texas, and who has raised a child with severe mental illness, this doesn’t begin to give you an idea of the trauma families are dealing with on a daily basis. I cannot express the fear, grief, and helplessness you feel when you can’t help your child or someone you love.
I should NOT have to have my 7 year-old son on a waiting list to get a bed in a psychiatric hospital because there are no beds available. My son should NOT have to live in a different state so that he can receive the services he so desperately needs.
We can do better. We MUST do better.
I am so grateful for the work that NAMI does and donate a portion of all of my book proceeds to NAMI Central Texas.
What can you do to help?
Write to your local politicians (Greg Abbott) and demand mental health parity, learn about public policies regarding mental health in your area, volunteer in your community with organizations like NAMI, but the best thing you can do is to talk about mental health. Normalize the conversation.
National Institute of Mental Health
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Don’t be afraid to take a mental health day.
If you feel unable to concentrate, think clearly, manage emotions, or feel extreme apathy or anxiety, it’s time for a break. Just like it’s okay to take a sick day, it’s okay to take a sad day. Instead of taking time off to Netflix and chill, engage in activities that bring you joy. A mental break will build your resilience buffer zone. #MindfulMonday #mentalhealthawarenessmonth ... See MoreSee Less
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A huge thank you to the ASSA ABLOY team for inviting me to speak at this year's Growth Exchange! You embody resilient leadership.
And I got to have my favorite childhood soda. I haven't had one for over 30 years and it was just as good as I remembered! 🥤 ... See MoreSee Less
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So glad Jay was by your side!
I can’t wait to share this podcast interview with you! We talked about strategies to improve life, work, raising kids, and everything in between.
🎙️: Talk2Rami ... See MoreSee Less
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Anne Grady’s a great guest always!