I picked up my first self-help book when I was 17 years old and have been reading them ever since. Earlier this year, I wrote my own self-help book with my dad called The Foundation of a Successful Life based on years of learning and practicing different self-help practices. If there’s one thing I’d want you to know about finding success in your life it’s this: The power to do so heavily lies in your own ability to turn hurdles into benefits.
That concept can be a lot to wrap your head around, I know. How could it possibly be true that within every hurdle there is a benefit? Let’s use the current pandemic as an example. Many people are left feeling that the odds are stacked against them. Where could the benefit be in this situation? I guarantee you, if you search hard enough, there is a benefit here for you. Maybe it’s the opportunity to try out a new career path. Maybe it’s coming up with a new and innovative way to approach your business that you’d otherwise never have thought of. Maybe it’s a push for you to finally make that move you’ve always dreamed of from the big city to a big home in the suburbs since you’re now working from home indefinitely. The benefit is there… just keep looking.
Successful people, no matter what, have an ability to look critically at any hurdle they face and come up with how to make the absolute most out of that situation. Those who struggle to find success in their lives tend to view those very same hurdles as failures. Those very “failures” will stop them in their tracks from continuing to pursue their goals.
It’s OK if you’re someone who tends to struggle with hurdles now. You can easily begin to train your brain to start viewing them differently and better gearing up for success in any aspect of your life. Try this tactic: When a hurdle of any kind is placed in your way, ask yourself, “What is the benefit in this for me?” If the answer is not immediately apparent, ask yourself, “What can I do to turn this into a benefit?”
If you continue to look at hurdles in a positive and productive light, over time you’ll find the process of finding that benefit will become easier and easier. No matter what your goals are in life, you should never let a hurdle of any kind stop you. Again, this marks the difference between those who find success easily and those who struggle with achieving their goals.
Hurdles and failures are not the same thing. In fact, successful people tend to not even use the word failure. While a failure may encourage an unsuccessful person to give up on their dreams, success-minded people will see the same event as a hurdle that they can benefit from.
For much more on turning hurdles into benefits, as well as plenty of tips and tricks for living your happiest and most successful life, check out The Foundation of a Successful Life.