New Year New Me (Unleash the Winner Within You Part 2)

 Chapter Two: Welcome Your Challenges

As I continued reading Unleash the Winner Within You by Coach Sherry Winn, Chapter Two delivered a strong reminder that growth and comfort rarely exist in the same place.

This chapter is all about how we respond when things do not go our way. Do we get angry, discouraged, or tempted to give up when challenges show up on our path to our goals. Or do we learn to see challenges as part of the process.

Coach Winn explains that successful people do not wait for luck. They plan, prepare, and position themselves for opportunity. When challenges appear, they do not let them defeat them. Instead, they allow challenges to stimulate them. A challenge becomes a motivator and an opportunity to rise to a higher level.

One powerful mindset shift from this chapter is simple. The next time you face a difficult obstacle, instead of complaining, you can choose to say, here is my opportunity.

Discomfort often comes with personal growth. If you are not uncomfortable sometimes, you may not be growing.

Change to Receive

Change requires us to stretch beyond what feels safe and familiar. It pushes us to broaden our comfort zones, learn new things, and work harder. Since change is a constant part of life, fighting it only slows down our progress.

Everyone changes, but not everyone progresses. Progress happens when you move from judgment to curiosity, from blame to responsibility, and from fear to faith.

Accepting and exploring change helps you develop emotional wisdom. This emotional growth is what helps you move past fear and move forward with confidence. Just like your body grows physically, your emotions also need training. If your emotions are left untrained, they can keep you stuck in fear and irrational thinking.

Asking the right questions also plays a big role. Positive and intentional questions open the door to new possibilities. They help you step out of your comfort zone and choose growth instead of waiting for change to force you.

Seeing Opportunity in Every Situation

This chapter challenges us to examine how we see life. Do you see your glass as half full or half empty? Do you expect the best to happen in your life, or do you focus on what could go wrong?

Your thoughts carry energy, and what you consistently believe shapes your experiences. Instead of being a what if down thinker who always imagines the worst, Coach Winn encourages becoming a what if up thinker who looks for possibilities.

A what-if-up thinker is energized by opportunity. They expect good things and actively look for growth even in difficult situations.

Moving from pessimism to optimism begins with a decision. You choose to change your thoughts. You choose whether challenges will shape you positively or drain you emotionally. You choose whether to see challenges as opportunities or as disasters.

Life is compared to a buffet in this chapter. As you move through life, you select different experiences. Some of them may not turn out the way you hoped. When that happens, you learn and make better choices next time. Even experiences you did not enjoy can later give you clarity and direction.

Think about something that happened in your life that you did not appreciate at the time, but later helped shape who you are today. Often, contrast helps point you toward what you truly want.

An attitude of gratitude also changes how you see life. When you acknowledge the people, events, and things you are thankful for, your energy shifts. Gratitude helps you see challenges with a clearer and healthier perspective.

One message comes through clearly in this chapter. Discomfort causes growth. If you are willing to face challenges, accept change, and adjust your mindset, you give yourself the chance to become stronger, wiser, and more prepared for the future.

Reflection and Call to Action

To help you practice seeing opportunities in challenges, here are a few simple exercises from this chapter that you can try:

1.     What-If-Up Thinking
Take one negative or limiting thought you often have and turn it into a what if up thought. Write at least seven positive what if up statements. For example, what if this challenge is preparing me for something better. What if this setback is helping me grow stronger.

2.     The What If Possibility Practice
For a few minutes each day, play the what if game. Write down as many positive what if possibilities as you can without trying to find answers. This helps your mind open up to new ideas and possibilities.

3.     Looking Back to See Growth
Write down three past events you once labeled as bad. Under each one, list five positive or constructive things that came out of that experience.

4.     Finding Possibilities in Difficult Moments
When something happens that feels negative, challenge yourself to write down ten positive possibilities that could come from that situation. Be creative and keep an open mind.

5.     Gratitude and Perspective Practice
Think of one positive thing you can focus on today. Use it as a reminder that even small positive thoughts can help shift how you see challenges and opportunities.