When Life Gives You Lemons...
Shift
happens. Generally, it's unexpected and unsettling. Bull markets eventually
stop rampaging, hibernate for a while as the country experiences a recession. You
find out an old acquaintance has been trying to undermine your relationships
with mutual friends. Just as you get settled into a new home, you lose your job
and must adjust to a lower income.
Change Your Thinking,
Change Your Response
The
attitude you have towards these distressing events impacts their outcome. Epictetus,
the Greek philosopher, said, "People are not disturbed by things, but by
the view they take of them." Your perspective determines whether your
response will be positive or negative.
If
you respond positively to a situation and believe it will get better, you'll
take actions that bring about a beneficial result. However, if you bemoan the
situation and sink into immobility, then you'll end up worse than when you
began.
One
of the ways to adjust your attitude is to alter the way you look at the
situation. Over the years, clichés, proverbs and quotes have helped people to
realize that there is more than one way to look at a problem. When you do, you
open your mind up to other possibilities. Here are some ideas that will help
you keep things in perspective:
Necessity is the mother
of invention.
When there's a problem, let it inspire creative efforts to find a solution. If
there's no problem, we coast along and don't make progress. How can you engage
your creativity even when there isn't a problem?
Into every life, a little
rain must fall.
No one gets through this life without some difficulty or upset. Right now, it seems
as if it's pouring. But the storm will pass.
Make the best of a
bad situation.
Accept what's happened. Then, figure out what tools you have to work with and
get resourceful. How can you find something beneficial in the situation that
makes things bearable or better?
This too shall pass. In early adulthood,
this phrase got me through a very bad day at work. It became my mantra for the
day. It was my lifeline. That day did end, as all do. Eventually, your crisis
will also be in the past.
"Tough times
don't last, but tough people do" Robert Schuller. You've made it this
far in your life, so you're tougher than you know. You have the ability to make
it through this, too.
What doesn't kill you
makes you stronger.
What lessons can you learn from the current situation that you can use in the
future?
"In the middle of difficulty lies
opportunity"Albert Einstein. Challenges get people to
think about problems in new ways. Consider how people are now figuring out how
to use 3-D printers to create vitally needed medical equipment. It's unlikely
that would have happened without this crisis. What opportunities can you find in
life's difficulties for yourself?
When life gives you
lemons, make lemonade. This sums up the situation. We have a lemon of a
situation right now, no doubt. But if you shift your perspective, you'll be
able to develop something sweet and pleasant.
What Are Your Next Steps?
This isn't to say that you should
ignore feeling scared or upset. Take the time to mourn what's gone or not
currently available. Acknowledge it and let it flow through you. Just don't let
the grief immobilize you. The longer you stay immobilized, the longer it will
take you to start living again and moving in a positive direction.
Take a
deep breath, and another. What steps do you need to take to move forward? Get
creative. Life is always changing. You will get through this. And you can find a way to make the situation work for
you, to come out of it stronger, and more resourceful. And you might even have
some lemonade.
Copyright © 2009-2021 Linda Ann Stewart
All Rights Reserved
As a vision strategist, hypnotherapist, and speaker, Linda-Ann Stewart helps women entrepreneurs who feel stuck, immobilized and overwhelmed to gain clarity, focus, and get back in control so they're able to accelerate to the next level of their business. To achieve a 90-day goal more easily, sign up for her FREE comprehensive Strategic Vision Guide at www.SetYourCourseGuide.com. You can contact her at LAS@Linda-AnnStewart.com or 928-600-0452.
|