Bounce Back

By Elly A. Jeane

"BOUNCE BACK" is a collection of self-improvement essays, articles and short stories. It offers practical advice to inspire, enlighten and motivate those who seek success in any venture.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Elly Smith
• Release date: Jul 21, 2019
• ISBN: 9781393591689

Book preview

STEP ONE

REALIGN YOUR EXPECTATIONS

Linguists describe an expectation as a strong belief a specific outcome, event, etc., etc., will come to pass. The laws of probability question that arrogant assertion, arguing in their favor that there is a likelihood however remote, that something else (unexpected) might come to pass.

The first statement aptly describes unrealistic expectations which as noted will probably ultimately lead to disappointment.  To avoid the feeling altogether or weaken its effect you must strike a balance between your clearly defined vision of success and realism.

HOW TO REALIGN YOUR EXPECTATIONS

Keep It In Mind That You Are Owed Nothing By Anybody

Loans can be repaid with or without interest. Some loans may nonetheless, never be repaid. The analogy here is no one should expect a kind deed to be repaid. No matter what you’ve done for your friends, family or relatives, they may not be there for you when you need them. Your plans therefore shouldn’t heavily depend on someone else’s help in order for them to be accomplished. 

You must learn to depend only on yourself first.

You’ll obviously need help eventually. Man is not an island and all that. When you need help don’t be afraid to find out who’ll be willing to lend a helping hand. There’s no guarantee that you’ll procure a positive response. Being thus prepared (for the worst) will ensure you avoid unnecessary heartache and failure.

Since no one can make it alone, don’t give up on everyone. Knock on as many doors as you can but use the knowledge that no one owes you anything to keep frustration and bitterness at bay.

NEVER SET A TIME LIMIT ON LONG TERM GOALS

It’s relatively easy to suppose that getting something you desire won’t be that hard. There’s so much misleading information on the internet these days after all.

You’ve stumbled into those too good to be true success stories which may make it appear like embracing success in any venture is easy as long you work hard at it.

The people who succeed at some venture without much effort could just have been lucky. Or it could be they aren’t being honest because they seek attention. They could have been working on a project for years but once they embrace success they’ll claim they haven’t been working on it for a long time. They desire to be looked upon as smart. Who doesn’t want that?

Or maybe they may just be so wildly talented at what they do that attaining perfection isn’t all that hard for them. The variables could be infinite. For everyone else however remember that Rome wasn’t built in a day.

It takes time to achieve many lofty goals. Set a time limit on such goals and you’ll most likely set yourself up for failure. What should matter more to you is that you get to your desired destination. How long it takes to get there shouldn’t matter. Focus more on the journey instead.

To enjoy the sweet taste of success earlier and more often, break the long term goals into smaller chunks. Each milestone you hit will not only motivate you to work harder but also ensures you neither lose focus nor your enthusiasm.

BONUS STORY (abridged from a classic)

A relatively well-off florist welcomed a boy who’d lost his guardian into his home. As a son and an equal of his kids he treated him. The boy thinking he’d finally be happy now that he had a new family didn’t know what fate had in store for him.

At precisely the time when everything seemed to be going right for him, disaster struck hard.

It was a sunny morning when the happy family left home for a picnic. The sky was clear so they left with no worries at all that a change in weather would ruin the flowers which they depended on to earn them their day to day living.

As fortune would have it while the family was still away huge black clouds swiftly covered the sky. Streaks of lightning and distant peals of thunder indicated that a storm was headed their way. At that instant they remembered the flowers. Exposed as they were to the elements, it wouldn’t take many direct hailstone hits to lose most of them. The flowers if not covered by the protective glass frames designed for that particular purpose would all be lost.

The family’s worst fears were realized. In just a few minutes hail which accompanied the falling rain tore the flowers to shreds. The florist reduced to pauper status could no longer take care of the boy he’d adopted. Sent off to jail for failing to pay his debts, relatives offered to take care of his children but the miserable boy, hero of our story, was left destitute and had to learn to fend for himself in a cold, heartless world.

Note:

Such is life. You can never expect anyone no matter how good a friend they’ve been to help you all the time. The unexpected can make it impossible for him/her to offer the help you need. So please learn to rely on yourself.

AFTERWORD

Read or watch the news. All around there is suffering: epidemics, wars, famines, government oppression and worse. The world isn’t as rosy a place as some stories portray it. It isn’t the planet where you wish on a star and rest assured that everything will be alright.  There are no magic wands, no fairy godmothers, and no superheroes to save the day.

Face it. The work is a brutal place where merit isn’t always rewarded. The good guys don’t always win.

Everyone