Looking UP Regardless of How Things "Look"

Looking up regardless of How it Looks
Written by: Darren Bocksnick © 2009
http://mySuccessfulThinkers.com/Darren Bocksnick

The Connection:
During times of struggle, there has often been a connection between looking away from one’s depressed, despairing circumstances and looking up toward the hope of better things to come. This looking up process has long been associated with a paradigm shift in thinking with concepts such as: 1) refusing to abide in a helpless state 2) acknowledging the need for help from someone/something greater 3) embracing hope and the expectation of better things.

The Look Away/Look up Principle in Action:
Numerous are the instances where this “looking away/looking up” principle has determined the outcome in matters of success or failure, prosperity or poverty, victory and defeat. Yet one particular story stands out. For the American and allied forces on June 6th, 1944; otherwise known as D-Day- by all appearances it seemed to be a day destined for defeat. Though the world waited in hope and expectation to be freed from the tyranny of an oppressive regime; the enemy prepared in earnest to maintain their steely grip and control over their domain of conquest.

Night is Darkest Just before the Dawn:
The mission itself was one of near, impossible odds requiring American and allied soldiers to storm a Nazi-occupied beachfront riddled with landmines. Even worst, the soldiers’ only means of reaching the beachfront was by way of cumbersome water-craft, known as “Landers”. Many of the soldiers drown when their watercraft capsized en route to the beachfront landing zone. To compound the danger; the beachfront was guarded by seasoned soldiers touting heavy machine guns and powerful artillery located strategically throughout the surrounding hills and bunkers overlooking the area.

Even the weather looked menacing for a summer day in Normandy, France during June. An overcast sky replete with thick gray clouds, numbing temperatures and sheets of rain painted a bleak picture; an omen of sorts of that which was soon to follow.

Appearances Don’t Always Provide a True Picture:
Their orders were to “take the beach” and to rid the area of the enemy, regardless of whatever difficulties they were certain to encounter. Yet, on the morn of that infamous day; accomplishing the mission seemed all empty words from a star-studded General. As the American and allied soldiers approached the beachfront, the eruption of machine gun fire and artillery exploded all around; in the water, in the landing craft and in the midst of their comrades. By appearances alone; defeat looked imminent.

Not moving forward is the Equivalent of Falling Backwards:
Those “fortunate” enough to remain alive amidst the bombardment and make it to the beachfront were confronted with death, dismembered bodies and untold devastation. History depicts a grim tale of soldiers frozen in fear, unable to move and unwilling to go forward to complete the mission. No sooner had they launched their mission that victory seemed impossible and failure looked inevitable.

Even the Faintest Splinter of Light Pierces the Dark:
Yet, as a group of terror-stricken soldiers lay there behind corpses and makeshift blockades to escape the relentless bombardment of enemy fire, one of them, a Colonel George Taylor spoke up: "Two kinds of people are staying on this beach, the dead and those who are going to die. Now let's get the hell out of here" (Goldstein 210). At that, the men looked away from their dark and dire circumstance to look up and see the glimmer of hope before them. They rose to carry out the mission they had been appointed to do: “move forward and take the beach”. The rest is, as they say, history since the soldiers were able to take the beach and defeat all the enemy forces entrenched there. More significantly; their victory was to serve as a launch pad into all of Europe which eventually led to the enemy’s ultimate defeat.

Outlook Determines Outcome:
The Look Away/Look Up factors have often contributed to a change in one’s perspective, one’s outlook and ultimately, one’s outcome. As one’s countenance lifts and looks up toward better things, the negative, contrary circumstances weighing him or her down begins to dissipate. When this occurs, suddenly things don’t seem as dire or depressing as they once had appeared. When people can learn to look away from the troubling circumstances surrounding them and instead, start looking upward with hope toward better things to come; it is then that things will begin to improve and turn around!

Though to the degree one can look away from the negative and look up toward the positive will usually determine the duration of the trouble or intensity of the victory; here are some good practices however, that we can all put into action for helping us maintain the right perspective.

I. Surround Yourself with the Right Kind of Crowd: It is no secret that our influences have a profound impact on our attitudes and perspectives. There is much ado about this factor known as synergy and how the power of two in agreement brings out a third force which is even greater than the sum total of the two; almost as if it were two to a higher power. Synergy is usually associated with all things positive, successful and prosperous. However; if we believe that synergy does in fact exist, we are forced to at least acknowledge the idea that a negative synergy also exists. In other words, when two come together and agree on something with negative connotation or devious intention; then the same principle of that third force coming into play, also applies- albeit in the negative sense. Emphasizing the negative here in order to accentuate the positive; we must be careful about our associations for either their positive influence will affect us positively or their negative influence can just as easily impact us negatively.

II. Be the Source of your own Inspiration: While trekking through life we will undoubtedly encounter situations that can drain and deprive us of our reservoir of optimistic thought and an upbeat attitude. There are times when even our most reliable, positive influences will be unable to quell the unrest and despondency that may cross our paths from time-to-time. It is then that we must be able to do the seeming impossible; be the source of our own inspiration. In such circumstances we must find it within ourselves to not only survive, but to thrive and go forward with renewed determination to succeed! In all great competitions; it has often been said that the champions are those who willed themselves to victory. The human will is like a last bastion of defiance against the seemingly insurmountable odds of obtaining victory. When even our physical bodies have worn, our energy is depleted and our emotions are numb with defeat; it is then that our will can ultimately bring us through to victory like nothing else could ever do. Consider this; when we can fully pick ourselves up, what then can ever fully bring us down?

III. Present Circumstances are not Indicative of Future Realities: So often we succumb to the contrary situations that arise in our lives and before too long, hopelessness starts to set in if we are not careful. We are a here and now, microwave speed, fast-food generation. As such, we cringe when the negative occurs in our lives and all that occupies our minds is getting through it and past it as quickly as possible. The problem then becomes compounded when these negative situations linger longer than we had hoped or anticipated for them to last. Left unabated, we can become disheartened, disillusioned and worst, depressed over negative occurrences lasting longer than we’d prefer them to. It is during these times that we should call to mind this simple concept: that our present circumstances are NOT indicative of our future realities. In other words; what we are going through right NOW and the negative, contrary circumstances bearing down on us at this present moment are NOT an indicator of what our future holds for us. Our situations can change in an instant and our circumstances can make a turn for the positive in the fraction of a moment. Therefore, place your hope in what is yet to come and in the anticipation of better things made possible by your dreams! Don’t, however; become so focused on your current situation that you miss the open doors “exits” provided by your hope-filled future to leave the negative behind and enter into the positive world that’s awaiting you!

In closing, looking away from the negatives around us and looking up to the positives yet before us is often the fine line separating victory from defeat; success from failure and prosperity from poverty. We must endeavor to embrace our hopes, breathe life into our dreams and cultivate our goals for one day; they shall nourish and sustain us with health, wealth and purpose! Perhaps, this powerful quote encapsulating the significance of this looking away / looking up principle, says it best: “"When life knocks you down, try to fall on your back, because if you can look up, you can get up." Les Brown

Darren Bocksnick
Official Writer for Successful Thinkers
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