Brees’ ‘Strong Comeback’ has good spiritual advice for everyone

Saints’ quarterback Drew Brees has given us some good advice for upright Christian living.

Find a mentor. No matter who you are or what your profession is, we all need someone who can keep us grounded and speak the truth to us. Find people who have built their lives on a solid foundation, and humbly learn from them. I’ve never known a successful person who has made an impact on the world who didn’t stand on the shoulders of other great men and women.

Don’t give up. The worst thing that can happen in life is not getting knocked down but staying down. If you lose a job, if your relationships crumble, if you face a health setback – get up. You may fall again and it may hurt, but get back on the horse. Once you’re up, hold your ground. Commitment is refusing to give excuses.

Turn your defeats into triumphs. Any difficulty you face – whether it’s a tear to your shoulder, a person who betrays you, a dysfunctional family, or the bad luck you have with the economy – can unleash power within you for good. Use that negative to help you not only climb out of the hole, but rise to greater heights. The greatest opportunities in life are the ones that test us the most.

Dream. If your mind can conceive it, you can achieve it. It may take much effort, struggle and help from others. Still, when that vision mixes with hard work and commitment, you’ll be amazed at what you can accomplish.

Hope. To come back after a disappointment and accomplish something great, you have to believe in something bigger than yourself. It’s not enough to put your hope in hope. You have to have an object of hope. For me, God is the center of that hope whom I lean on to order my steps and show me the right path. Having hope in the Lord means I trust in God’s plan and believe that Divine Providence will help me overcome anything I face in life.

Be flexible. Be flexible enough to know when you’re being led in another direction, and then follow that new vision with all your heart. You are being led there for a reason. Coincidence is usually God working anonymously.

See adversity as an opportunity. No matter what comes your way, remember that God can use everything in your life for good, though it may seem unfair or insurmountable at the time.

Don’t be afraid of taking a few steps back. A step back is not necessarily a setback. Sometimes you have to take a few steps backward before you can get the momentum to jump over a chasm in your life.

Don’t spectate. Be ready. Instead of standing on the sidelines watching, spend that time getting ready for the next play. Too many of us are caught sleeping at life’s traffic lights. When an opportunity comes your way, make sure you are well enough prepared to seize the chance you’ve been given. You never know if you will get that opportunity again.

Remember you are you. God created each of us for a purpose. You will find that purpose in doing the small things well, in taking things one day at a time. That purpose will always have an element of serving others. When people think you’re not big enough, not smart enough, or not experienced enough for a task, remember that faith will carry you through. The test of adversity is one that’s fought with faith.

Finish strongly. It is not where you start in life, but how you finish. Keep it simple: in everything you do, make your last presentation your best.