When the growing gets tough… never give up
When the growing gets tough, do you give up?
In life, whether at work or home, we take on challenges, seek change, and push forward. But obstacles, setbacks, and resistance are inevitable. The one constant in these moments? Growth. But when growth gets tough, how do we build the inner drive to never give up?"
Bestselling author, TedX speaker, LinkedIn Top Voice on wellbeing, and Chief Impact Officer at JAAQ, Ryan Hopkins, has faced challenging moments in his life and now shares his story of how he found a way of never giving up.
The Story - By Ryan
There is a book that changed my life called Man’s Search for Meaning which is about a holocaust survivor (Victor Frankl who was a pioneering psychologist), who explores the importance of having a purpose and living aligned to it. Victor believes that this kept him alive, and it very much helped me; in a time when I was really struggling.
I have struggled for a long time with my mental health from depression to bulimia and to cope or feel any sense of self worth, I would develop these crazy goals like walking across Spain on my own (45KM+ per day), pushing through storms, blisters and pain, but I began to ask myself why do I need to do this? Is this what drives me?
I eventually learned through a lot of self reflection, reading and simply time, that my purpose was to use my experience to help others as opposed to pushing myself through challenging, punishing and almost self masochistic regimes and routines.
Throughout my life, the big moments of learning have come from a lot of unhappiness (isn't that often the way). I remember breaking my leg and my ankle which in turn led to me losing my career as an electrician, the ability to walk for a year and the ability to play rugby These two aspects were key parts of my identity and after a year of stagnation and seeing no hope of making any change, this led to an eating disorder, depression and suicidal ideation.
I remember focusing on the wrong things - what I had lost, looking for validation from others. However, my sense of self has thankfully improved over the years because of self love, reflection and the alignment I have to my purpose. Everything I do is to help people not end up where I did and if they do to know that they are not alone. This is everything for me.
This gives me the energy, passion and determination to keep going and to change the world and I am proud to have engaged over 20M people in the betterment of wellbeing now.
There are times when the clarity of your purpose may become hazy (or perhaps you don't know it yet) and this can make life pretty tough. When this happens, the key is to get clarity back and regain that laser focus on your purpose, because if it is strong enough, then you will never give up.
He who has a why can deal with any how. And if you haven't found it yet, don't lose hope, you will.
Ryan Hopkins - Bestselling author, TedX speaker, LinkedIn Top Voice on Wellbeing, and Chief Impact Officer at JAAQ
Story Takeaways
Ryan has faced some challenges in life, whether it’s career ending injuries through to thoughts of suicide. However, through these toughest moments, he has taken lessons about himself which he uses as fuel to 'engage a billion people in the betterment of wellbeing'.
So, what can we learn from Ryan’s story?
Purpose is power: Having a centred purpose gives you direction, resilience, and the energy to push through when motivation fades.
Learning can come from the dark: Much of your personal learnings comes from discomfort and hard times. Use these as foundations to anchor back to when the growing gets really tough.
Losing sight and focus is OK: At times, haziness will creep in and your laser focus will drift, that is completely normal. The key is to identify that it is happening, and then work to re-focus.
To never give up: There is no harm in stopping, reflecting, getting help, or choosing a different option. However, giving up entirely will limit your growth.
Whilst Ryans story is unique to him, we all face these moments in our life, and how we choose to approach, handle, and grow through them will define the outcomes.
Conclusion
Life, in all its forms, brings challenges. The easy times seem to flow effortlessly, whilst the tough times can really test our resolve, and it’s these moments when giving up can sometimes feel like the easier option to take.
Ryan knows that, and so do I.
However, your toughest moments have the power to shape your greatest growth. The key is to hold onto your purpose, keep learning, and to... never give up.
Reflection Question: When the growing gets tough for you, how do you stop yourself from giving up?
Read more here…
Check out Ryans bestselling book, 52 Weeks of Wellbeing, to learn more about his story, and how you can begin your journey towards a more fulfilling work life.
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