Written by: Yvette Troyna, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
With such talk of superheroes gracing our screens, it’s clear: greatness is our birthright. But what’s an everyday hero to do when life gets crazy? Let’s be real. Nobody could foresee the global havoc a microscopic virus could wreak. And who could predict the super-bloom of heroes shortly after the world went dark? We are all superheroes. Scientific research proves that our strengths contribute to happiness. Together at Superpower School chapters all over the world, we activate these strengths to love life again. Cape optional.
Chances are, you know someone who struggles with smoking or weight management. With 3000 diets boasting beach body results, it’s easy to see why we get confused about keeping our figures intact. For many, instant gratification is paramount. I blame it on sitcoms and drive-thru expectations. When I owned fitness centers, I had to convince newbies to stay the course that first month or risk losing vital momentum. Before visible results provide lasting motivation to break a sweat and eat veggies, my cheerleading couldn’t bridge the gap their tenacity held.
In my time helping people get fit, I realized that tenacity is an overlooked superpower.
Despite knowing the goal is worthy/winning is about the journey, most of us suffer from premature evacuation. We quit too soon. Too easily. And all too often. Sometimes the smell of fresh pizza dough outtrumps even my deepest desire for an unfettered bikini summer. What can I say? I’m a premature evacuator of epic proportions—when my “why” is weak. Therein lies the go-juice. You’ve simply gotta find a big enough “why” to activate this superpower.
See, tenacity will keep your ironclad grip intact when you rescue that precariously perched hiker. Talk about a cliffhanger! Tenacity is your best friend when you can’t get clarity on a rumor until your spouse is home. Tenacity pulls you through rough spots when you have zero answers, but your gut screams, “stay the course!” Quitting too soon is often a rookie move in a fledgling business, volatile stock market, or baking bread. Premature evacuation serves no one well. Tenacity is one of those strengths that can be helpful in both negative and positive settings.
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How to activate this superpower to stop addiction or start eating well?
I’m glad you asked. First, grab a seat. Take a few deep breaths to clear your head. In through your nose, out through your mouth. Next, recall times when you felt so solid that nothing could shake your resolve. Paint the picture with greatness. You signed up for Weight Watchers, followed the rules, enjoyed a cheat day, and sure enough, watched your fat pants fall off three months later. Good on you, you tenacious fit model! Really soak in the imagery of your tenacious success. Get into the proud emotions, the better sleep, the increased energy, the steamier sex life. Relive the rewards of your tenacity.
Say you want to stop drinking, because it goes right to your gut and your mouth spews nasty words, but it feels better to stop worrying about your day job. How do you apply tenacity in this circumstance? Your why isn’t clearer than your love for the beverage, so you’ll be hard-pressed to accomplish your goal without some superpower strength. Anthony Robbins’ hilariously effective disruptive behavioral tricks work well in this case. Here’s my takeaway from his book, “Awakening the Giant Within.”
Imagine you want to quit drinking, and you need willpower. Instead of beating yourself up for letting an inanimate object run your life, treat yourself with kindness. You deserve it. As soon as you’ve reconnected with yourself, take another deep breath. On the exhale, visualize a grotesque image. Maybe it’s rotting grain. Or worse still, rodents on a high dive like they’re at a public swimming pool instead of a vat housing your brewski. If your cravings are particularly stubborn, feel free to add to the disgusting imagery. Amber beer looks eerily like rat urine. Smell that foam? Oh boy. I don’t know about you, but that did it for me. No more beer for this girl.
Often, recalling evidence of your strength is enough to renew resolve. Put your mindset back in that successful time and go for it. If that doesn’t work, go the Tony Robbins route and I guarantee you’ll have plenty of tenacity the next time your mouth waters on a hot afternoon. Your mind will zoom straight to high diving rats peeing in their beer pool, that just happens to be your best stein. Yup. The one with the elk carved in the side like a GOT lord.
Instead of hitting the gym after munching a whole bag of celery, only to wake up disappointed when you don’t see a puddle of fat on the floor the next morning, remind yourself that tenacity is your superpower. You got this. And like any other superhero, give yourself a pat on the back when you get it right and a hug when you get it wrong. You are a superhero. Activate your superpowers. Love life. Cape optional.
Yvette Troyna, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Positive Living Maestro, Yvette Troyna, is a serial entrepreneur who grew up in the Pacific Northwestern United States. No matter how tough life can be, she bounces back with genuine happiness. Who knew that decades later her unique brand of positive living would translate to heavy-hitting, science-based strengths training in the form of her new B Corp, Superpower School Inc?
When she isn't training new Superpower School chapter owners, you can find Yvette using her Psychology degree to write about positive living, traveling for speaking engagements, celebrating her loved ones' latest wins with ridiculous fanfare, and generally savoring all that the Good Life has to offer. Her brand of positivity is neither religious nor political in nature. Just authentic tips and scientifically proven insights into what it takes to activate your superpowers to love life again. Cape optional. What are her superpowers, you ask? Love, perspective, creativity, humor, gratitude, parallel parking, and fitting 15 pounds into a 10-pound bag.
