You’re Not Going Anywhere
Click here to receive your free Beginner’s Guide to Idea Creation and Execution. Enjoy reading on Medium? Get a membership and support thousands of writers, including myself.
Haley sat crying in her car. She flummoxed a job interview because she bailed when it got hard.
She wailed and screamed, “I’m not going anywhere!” repeatedly. Her intensity in the chant rose.
Before she knew it, it became a mantra that she wasn’t going to back down. She grabbed her things and marched her ass right back inside.
In an episode of Modern Family, our character, Haley was interviewing at a fashion company.
When the assistant turned her away, Haley walked off without a fight. But a quick cry session turned into a pep session.
In a moment of weakness, strength arose.
There are often two sides to every story. It’s just a matter of which one you choose.
I’m not going anywhere!
On one hand, it can sound pessimistic. Like you’re not going anywhere in life. Like things are hopeless.
I’ve repeated the phrase many times in that context. Thinking I would be forever stuck.
I’ve cried in the same way, afraid of complacency. ‘I’m not going anywhere’ became the refrain stuck in my head when I was knee-deep in depression.
Even now, the thought of it makes me want to tear up and throw up. It’s a horrible feeling.
But on the flip side, it can be an empowering statement.
It could be a statement of your willpower and your unflinching ability to stand in the face of adversity.
I’m not going anywhere.
It’s a sign of grit and determination that you’re still standing. And that you’re not taking no for an answer.
Instead of taking the backseat approach, you’re in the driver’s seat staring at the problem head-on.
It’s the same line either way, but the inflection can change everything. Your attitude can change anything.
What you think and what you believe influences your perception of your reality.
You can choose what that reality is.
You can choose to stand up or fall down.
You can choose whether you succeed or not.
It’s all up to you. You’re the one that gets to write the story.
Which one do you pick?
