Success in the face of adversity
Success comes in the face of adversity. Life moves on through this season of renewal – and expectations of new beginnings are as vibrant as the daffodils and tulips. Setbacks can seem overwhelming, but you should learn from your experience and have the courage to teach others so that they can benefit too.
When adversity strikes, whether it be loss of your job, an illness, a natural disaster or when you take a big hit that really knocks you off your feet for a while, how fast you get up again depends on a number of things, such as: how good your support network is; how solid your self-esteem is; the extent to which you believe that you can control your own destiny, and your experiences at overcoming adversity in the past.
If you want to shorten the time it takes to get back on your feet, try this: Ask yourself how it will look when you no longer have your current problems. Spend time visualizing yourself in that picture and imagining how you’ll feel; do it over and over, day after day, week after week. In addition, list your strengths and past accomplishments and add to this list on a daily basis.
At the same time, set and prioritise some immediate, short-term goals to improve your situation; and write a detailed plan of action for the top three, including day and time.
Once you’ve accomplished a few short-term goals, you may feel ready to do some long-term visioning and goal-setting. Finally – and this is so important – no matter how much you’ve lost, take time to help someone else who is struggling. Even the worst experiences can be used to learn and grow.
Learn from your experience then have the courage to teach someone else so that they may also benefit from your experience.