How to escape the self-pity trap

It’s easy to get stuck in a cycle of self-pity, where you find yourself constantly asking, “Why me?” I’ve got one ultimate tip to break out of that cycle and stop obsessing over your troubles. Keep reading to find out more.

Everybody’s human

I’m a pretty positive guy. My upbeat attitude leaves a lot of people wondering if I ever have a bad day. The answer: of course I do! I would wager that everyone feels a little down from time to time. It’s nothing to be ashamed about.

The self-pity trap

The problem, of course, is when self-doubt and discouragement get in the way of our improvement and reaching for our goals. I faced a situation like this after my accident. I had set a goal to actually walk out of the hospital in three months. During my very first session of physical therapy, I discovered how difficult it was to do even the simplest of tasks. Lifting myself out of bed and into my chair took all my energy and left me out of breath with a racing heart. My goal of walking out of the hospital seemed further and further from my reach. This was easily the hardest moment on my road to recovery. I had a breakdown right in the middle of the hospital cafeteria.

My secret: SWAT

So there I was, crying into my plate of hospital food, when I had a life-changing moment. The only other patient at the table was sitting directly across from me. In slightly slurred speech, he asked me, “What’s wrong? Why are you crying?”. This snapped me out of my despair for two reasons. First, this man who needed assistance eating had it way worse than I did. This reminded me that I’m not the only person in the world who has problems. Secondly, this man wasn’t sitting around worrying about his health issues. Instead, he was looking to others and trying to find ways to make them feel better. This made me realize that, instead of sitting around and wondering “Why me?”, I could truly help others in their time of need.

That’s where the acronym SWAT comes from: Serving Without A Trace. I decided then and there to look outside myself and find ways to help others in whatever way I could. Serving Without A Trace can be something as simple as holding the door open for someone, sharing a kind thought, or giving someone a smile.

I invite you to find ways to implement SWAT into your everyday life! I promise that you’ll soon forget about your own worries, and you’ll find it immensely satisfying to help others with their problems.

If your interested in hearing more about my journey, reach out to me at GriffinMotivation.com. I’d love to come speak at your next corporate event and share more about what inspires me!