A couple of years ago, in the movie “Ugly Dolls,” Kelly Clarkson and Janelle Monáe sang “Unbreakable.” I watched it with my granddaughter, who was mesmerized as they belted out an amazing message. That song’s lyrics contain such a powerful illustration of determination and willpower and can certainly be applied to the challenges all of us experience in living our healthiest lives. Consistently doing what we need to succeed is incredibly difficult. We sometimes get mentally tired from the effort to stay focused.

As we watched the movie, I recalled an article written a few years earlier by Jeff Haden. He discussed “8 Habits of People with Amazing Determination and Willpower” — all of which were echoed in this song that affected Maddie and me!

1. Learn from your past. Then, let it go. All of us make mistakes. We can certainly learn critical life lessons from them, but we do not need to berate ourselves for fouling up.
2. Own your successes as well as your failures. You can control yourself. It isn’t so much a matter of luck as it is a matter of being prepared to take advantage of an opportunity to succeed.
3. Let go of what you cannot control. Don’t waste your precious energy on such things. You are only human and cannot do it all!
4. Celebrate the success of others and learn from them. Rather than resenting their success, ask for the help and advice of those who are succeeding.
5. Don’t whine and complain. Use your energy to change what you can to make things better. Don’t squander it on bemoaning the situation.
6. Hang out with those who uplift and encourage you to go where you hope to be. Don’t waste energy trying to impress others with what you have.
7. Set up reminders of why you want to reach your goals. Tremendous energy is required to maintain focus, and mental fatigue makes us vulnerable. The journey can be tiring. Make a plan to keep the prize front of mind.
8. Count your blessings, not your shortcomings! Feeling better about yourself is the best way of all to recharge your mental batteries.

“Nothing’s far when one wants to get there.” — Queen Marie of Romania

I Care, Barb