For years we have heard that there is clinical data to support that taking a daily dose of Vitamin B will reduce your stress and increase your energy. If you have ever experienced a low level of energy and/or chronic fatigue, you know that they can both heavily contribute to increasing your irritability and stress levels. This is why the B vitamins have always gotten great press for their ability to help you deal with stress by improving your cognitive performance, increasing your stability and helping to keep you calm. That’s a lot of support in a small bottle!
Lately, we are hearing more and more about a new “magic pill” - being mindful and living in the present moment. We are encouraged when we hear stories from people whose lives have been dramatically changed for the better when they started to be fully present and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what is going on around them.
My special guest blogger, Michele Roemer, who is a successful small business owner and former high school English teacher, shared one such story. I loved reading Michele’s take on how a change in mindset can truly change your life.
Here are Michele’s words:
“Terry Crews (former NFL player, actor, author) has taken over for Tyra Banks as host of America's Got Talent. I recently heard him interviewed on a talk show. He shared a story about one of the AGT contestants who climbs a tall rickety ladder with no bottom brace as an act. I've seen this guy. What he does is downright SCARY! There's no bottom brace on the ladder--it's all balance. He does not look like any kind of athlete, yet he climbs to the top, and attempts to stand straight up at the top with one foot on either side, nothing to hold on to. The first time he was on the show, he actually fell and got hurt.
Now they have brought back previous acts in a Championship version of the television talent show. “Ladder Man” came on again, and this time he did it....hold on, I'm getting to the pertinent part. He made it to the top, stood up there, with everyone in the audience afraid to breathe.
Terry Crews said that a backstage conversation with Ladder Man changed Terry's life. Terry said that he had talked to Ladder Man after the performance and asked how he had the courage to try this stunt again, after falling in front of thousands of people. Ladder Man said it was simple--he had to do it, for himself. He said "The difference was that THIS TIME, I was PRESENT." He realized that the first time, his focus was not fully there. Once he had failed, he HAD to succeed to prove to himself (not even just the audience) that he could do it. So Terry Crews has adopted this "being present" as his own personal mantra. He focuses on trying to be present in every situation in which he finds himself--from the most minimal encounter with a clerk at the coffee shop to spending quality time with friends and family--it's so easy to always have so much other stuff on your mind. We are often busy thinking about the next thing that needs to be done.
It isn’t easy to show up ready to be your best at all times--it can be quite challenging. There have been many times I'd drag myself to my 9:15-10:15 spin class, not really wanting to be there (it's not my favorite exercise), and before I even get on the bike, I think, "there are quite a few other people who leave at 10:00 instead of staying for the whole hour--I can do that too if I really feel like it." Now I am trying to BE PRESENT when I walk in to the gym, and set myself up for success like Ladder Man--even when it's hard. I commit myself to that full hour with no easy way out.”
We can all take a page out of Ladder Man’s Playbook. The next time you are faced with something challenging, overwhelming or seemingly insurmountable, rather than letting yourself be led on auto-pilot by emotions and fears, take a dose of Vitamin M...root your mind in the present moment and deal with life’s challenges in a clear-minded, calm, assertive way. You may just find yourself "climbing a ladder” of your own.