The world as we knew it changed forever when businesses shut down. Government officials mandated people to shelter-at-home.
It was the beginning of negative experiences that are continuing to this day. It’s unfortunate, our leaders do not shed light on a brighter future. While this is the bad news, we have had some positive benefits and will continue to have positive benefits. The key is we must look for them.
As the pandemic went from weeks to months, as a society we took it upon ourselves and switched from negatives to positives. We initially felt threatened by the loss or postponement of our secure jobs. It was almost inconceivable that the world could operate without our work. Surely, a business could not survive without us!
We soon discovered we didn’t have to sit in commute traffic for hours on a daily basis to get have a shift in our values. We recognized spending time with our children before dark was important to us. We began to understand somewhere along the way, our values had shifted. We were focusing on the bigger paycheck instead of our families that truly mattered most.
From the negative experience of being told to stay put, we grasped the positive benefit of quality family time. From there we added the positive benefit of re-connecting with distant family members and friends.
While many of us were working hard, making money, and providing for our families, most were doing so at the expense of their dreams. The fulfillment of a personal dream had been cast aside in order to provide for a family, to pay the bills.
We had become dedicated to the event of earning a paycheck. We had lost the dedication to fulfilling a dream. Suddenly the event was taken away. While sheltering-at-home, more and more people became re-dedicated to fulfilling their dreams. I hope this is you.
To achieve your dream, you must embrace the adversity life has given us. People naturally tend to remain the same. Once they’ve reached a level of comfort, they become inactive, losing their desire to become more than they are. This is why personal development is such a struggle. It’s also why adversity lies at the heart of every success.
Success stories about overcoming adversity are endless. Julio Iglesias, a Spanish singer, and songwriter, and one of the best-selling artists of all time, was studying law and playing soccer until a tumor on his spine left him partially paralyzed in a hospital bed, where a nurse gave him a guitar. He taught himself to play while lying in a hospital bed. The rest is history.
We must not sit around and wish for things to return to normal. We must not wish for things to get easier. Instead, we must focus on becoming better.
Eliminating problems limits our potential. It is our ability to overcome problems that provides us with wisdom and maturity. It’s when we overcome our problems, we gain the confidence to face the next, bigger problem.
It took being fired from a local hardware store in 1978, that prompted Bernie Marcus, to start his own hardware store a year later. Bernie’s store, The Home Depot, now has more than 750 locations and employs more than 150,000 people.
If you’ve lived at all, you’ve experienced the loss of a job or a relationship, that seemed devastating at the time. Now, you realize you are in a much better place. You are grateful that things happened the way they did, or you wouldn’t be where you are today.
As we look back, at every misfortune, every failed experience, every fall, every scrape, every loss, every time we regretted our circumstances, we can realize, each experience, has helped to mold us into who we are today. Each moment of sadness and disappointment, added to our confidence that we can overcome the next one. We are now aware we can step up and step over our circumstances.
Until you learn from experience that you can live through adversity, you will be reluctant to oppose mindless directives, to think independently, to push the envelope for higher performance and/or challenge your physical limits.
Whether you have realized it or not, up to this point, you have experienced setbacks in life and overcome them. You have gained knowledge and wisdom. You have demonstrated the ability to succeed.
Like the hunter relying on skill to survive hunger, every time he shot and missed, he learned to reload and get ready for the next shot. He continued to adjust his shot until he secured a meal. If you want to succeed, you have to learn to adjust the way you do things and try again.
If you can step back from the negative circumstances facing you, you’ll be able to discover inside of every negative experience are positive benefits for you to grasp!
Remember, there is greatness within you. You must choose greatness. It won’t develop on its own. I believe in you!
“Nothing can motivate a person like adversity.”
Take Action Today!
If you would like assistance with using adversity to your advantage, I can help you. We can meet by phone, on Zoom, or at a mutually convenient location. Whether you choose me or someone else, a coach will expedite your results.
If you found value in this article, please like and share. You never know who else in your network may find it valuable. Thank you!
I appreciate you. I know your time is limited and I hope you receive value in reading my posts.
I also invite you to connect with me. You can connect with me on LinkedIn, by email at [email protected] or through my website at www.bryanbalch.com. Thank you!
I always look forward to your thoughts and replies.
Published by Bryan M. Balch, Results Coach
Helping Individuals and Businesses Achieve Desired Results
#adversity #leadership #perspective #overcoming #positivity