Honestly, we can all say that 2020 has been a very interesting year, to say the least. We have seen our lives interrupted, we have been forced to change the way we do life, and we have witnessed the world come to a screeching halt. As we are now embarking upon the fourth quarter of 2020, I hope that you have not embraced the toxic cancel culture mindset of many. The reality is that our lives have been inconvenienced but our lives have not been canceled. Now is a great time to get clear about your priorities, make some adjustments, and set the course for how you will finish out this year. Resilience is in the DNA of every champion.
- You need to change your perspective. While we will all admit that 2020 threw us a curveball, you must change your perspective. I am not making light of the COVID-19 pandemic that has shaken the world this year. However, I am saying that you cannot afford to embrace a toxic and pessimistic mindset. We have all been inconvenienced and forced to make changes in our lives. You can sit, soak, and sour or you can shift your perspective and appreciate the gift of life. Be grateful for your life, health, and your family. So many people have lost loved ones and suffered devastating tragedies this year. Understand that your perspective defines your progress. This is not the time to repeat a negative narrative and talk about how bad your life is. Find something to be grateful for and determine to maintain the right perspective during this time. Never allow an event or experience to defeat or define you. Instead, allow the experiences and events in your life to develop your mental toughness for navigating seasons of adversity.
- Recommit to your vision and your goals. As I have checked in with various people throughout this COVID-19 crisis, I learned quickly that many people have allowed this time to become idle and unproductive. While I understand that you may not be able to accomplish all of your goals, you do not have to allow the pandemic to paralyze your progress and stifle your productivity. After all, many people had already stopped pursuing their goals well before the lockdown started. I want you to get your vision back out and look over your goals. Do not waste this time scrolling social media and binge-watching your favorite shows on Netflix. A crisis is an incredible time for reflection, self-discovery, and working on yourself. What are you learning about yourself? How have you grown? What wisdom have you gained? Personally, I have been taking new courses, writing new material, working on my goals, and continuing to advise leaders around the world as they navigate this time of crisis. Do not come through this crisis without new insights, strategies, wisdom, capacity, and a renewed commitment to becoming the best version of yourself. Without a vision, our lives lack productivity, purpose, and progress.
- Identify something that you are willing to fight for. In my lifetime, I have not seen many individuals that are willing to die for what they say they believe. Unfortunately, I have not seen many people that are willing to live for what they say that they believe. The reason for this is that most people have not identified the one thing that they are willing to fight for. If you have followed my work, then you know I have faced challenges, adversity, failure, and setbacks on my journey to greatness. However, it was my commitment to the fulfillment of my purpose and the maximization of my potential that kept me going. In other words, I saw a day beyond my trials and tribulations. I saw a day of me fulfilling destiny and making a significant contribution in my lifetime. As I look around the world today, I see so many people with a profound sense of hopelessness. I know that this hopelessness is deeply rooted in not having something to fight for. When you have something to fight for, you will move heaven and earth to see that thing preserved in your life. Without something to fight for you will forfeit greatness. More importantly, without something to fight for you will never fulfill purpose, maximize potential, or make an impact in your lifetime. We waste so much time pursuing vanity because we never take the time to define what we value. Your values shape your pursuits. Furthermore, your values will clarify what you are willing to contend for in your life.
- Every setback presents you with an opportunity to write a comeback story. When I was writing my autobiography several years ago, I said to myself that my story is simply a story of a comeback. I refused to give up and I refused to allow circumstances and conditions to define what was possible for my life. As a result, every setback simply set me up for a comeback. I developed a bulletproof mindset that does not accept defeat. I trained my mind to see beyond human reasoning, to defy odds, and to see limitations as invitations to expand my capacity for new possibilities and opportunities. At the time, many people thought I was crazy or delusional. However, those same individuals now celebrate me and the work that I am doing around the world. We all face setbacks in our lives. The thing that will separate you and distinguish you in the world is how you respond to setbacks. Resilence is not built at our peak. Resilience is built when we are under extreme pressure. How you respond in moments of pressure will determine whether or not you honor the seed of your potential. If you allow your setbacks to define you then you will abort your destiny. On the other hand, if you will allow your setbacks to develop you then you will awaken to your destiny. No setback in your life is greater than the seed of your potential. You can not only survive a loss. You can bounce back and see extraordinary victories in every area of your life!