#letitgo #thistooshallpass #temporary #mindset #coldshowers #yupCOLD

After the shock, we adapt.

Take a hot then cold shower and you'll know what I mean. Try it next time you shower.

Make the water only warm. Not hot yet. Get in when it's warm. Nice and comfortable.

Then crank it up. Slowly, obviously...I don't want you to burn yourself. But turn up the heat and let it stay for a few minutes. Then turn it up again. Then again. Pretty soon, the water is much hotter than you would've been able to handle if you turned it hot immediately.

Then...

CRANK it to COLD. So cold the water almost shuts off.

Yikes.

You feel the shock to your system. Your breath leaves your lungs. Your heart rate increases. You want to return to warmth. Your skin feels cold. The water, almost painful.

But leave it cold for a few moments. After the initial shock, what do you feel? The water is certainly cold and definitely uncomfortable, but your body adapts.

You adapt. You get used to it. You get over the shock.

And what you'll find is that it happens faster than you think. You overcome the shock quicker than you expect to be able to overcome it.

So what is the significance of this for us as goaltenders?

Simply that you are very adaptable.

Good things will happen to you. And you'll adapt in ways that make those good things the new normal.

Similarly, you will adapt to negative shocks quicker than you expect. Even when you experience physical shocks (like hot to cold shower), your body adjusts and adapts and you become comfortable being uncomfortable.

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Your mind works in the same way. Your happiness works in the same way.

This concept is called a Hedonic adaptation. It describes how your body and mind adapt to your circumstances by coming back to baseline.

Bad events won't be as bad as you expect. In fact, you might find some good in them.

Good events that you think will bring you more happiness and joy in fact only create those emotions for a short amount of time before your body gets used to your new state.

If you're ever in a season of particular difficulty, just remember, THIS TOO SHALL PASS.

The struggle will pass. The difficulty. The heartache. The disappointment. The aches and soreness after a hard workout? It will pass.

It will pass. You will adapt.

Likewise, good things won't last forever either. So take advantage of appreciating them when they do happen!

I do really encourage you to try the shower experiment! It is something I practice daily to remind myself how adaptable I am. Just a small reminder, but I overcome the 4-5 minutes of cold water. It's just cold water.

I'm reminded of how fortunate I am. It's just cold water. It could be worse.

You're more adaptable and capable than you know. So put yourself in new challenging situations that require you to adapt and change your baseline.

Stay frosty friends.

Josh

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