The biggest difference between winners and losers is their
ability to cope with adversity.
Life will throw problems in your path. Sometimes the
challenges will be physical, other times they will be
financial. Sometimes they will be difficult people, or a
natural disaster like a fire or earthquake, but sooner or
later, life challenges each of us. And here's a key point:
Our response to small daily challenges is a much better
predictor of our long-term success than our response to the
few real disasters in life.
Disasters are big! We can't deny or avoid them; we MUST
deal with them. When our home burns down or an accident
puts us in the hospital, everyone understands that we MUST
deal with these things.
It is no accident that Winston Churchill described the
Battle of Britain as "their finest hour." When emergencies
strike, we drop everything and rise to the occasion.
The real test in terms of life success is how we deal with
the "termites," the little things that are easy to ignore.
Things like living within our means. Things like managing
our weight and staying fit. Things like time for loved
ones, time for rest and for renewal.
These things are not dramatic and they are not urgent. We
can delay taking time for our kids. We can neglect our
health for a long time before obvious problems occur.
Recently I saw a biography of Donald Rumsfield, and one of
the points they made is that he "moves toward problems; he
never turns his back or walks away." That is a sound
strategy!
High achievers expect challenges. They know that as they
move forward, problems will occur. Unexpected things will
happen, and they maintain an attitude of optimism, humor,
strength and resolve in the face of difficulties. They know
that as they become ever more successful, the size and
complexity of their problems will only grow. How could it
be any other way?
So, here are a couple of keys to solving problems:
1. Expect difficulty! This is no surprise, it is not unfair
or unusual. Life is complicated. Get good at it.
2. Keep a buffer around the edges of your life. Maintain a
reserve of extra time, savings in the bank, and a bit of
energy to handle the unexpected.
3. Attitudes of optimism and enthusiasm are essential.
4. View difficulties as challenges or learning
opportunities rather than as problems. How we talk about
our difficulties makes a huge difference in how we handle
them. Words matter!
5. "We get by with a little help from our friends." Have a
team of cheerleaders, experts and colleagues on stand-by to
help you over-come any challenge.
6. Be proactive. Take care of difficulties while they are
small. Preventive maintenance is good for your car, your
relationships and your heart.
7. Learn from every experience and (try) not to have the
same problem twice. Learn from difficulties, make changes,
and move on. Never repeat the same life-lesson!
The key is understanding that challenges are how we learn
and grow. Life is about what we learn and what we learn to
do. Expect interesting situations! Taking them in stride
builds your confidence. Never fear trouble; learn to
triumph over it!
ability to cope with adversity.
Life will throw problems in your path. Sometimes the
challenges will be physical, other times they will be
financial. Sometimes they will be difficult people, or a
natural disaster like a fire or earthquake, but sooner or
later, life challenges each of us. And here's a key point:
Our response to small daily challenges is a much better
predictor of our long-term success than our response to the
few real disasters in life.
Disasters are big! We can't deny or avoid them; we MUST
deal with them. When our home burns down or an accident
puts us in the hospital, everyone understands that we MUST
deal with these things.
It is no accident that Winston Churchill described the
Battle of Britain as "their finest hour." When emergencies
strike, we drop everything and rise to the occasion.
The real test in terms of life success is how we deal with
the "termites," the little things that are easy to ignore.
Things like living within our means. Things like managing
our weight and staying fit. Things like time for loved
ones, time for rest and for renewal.
These things are not dramatic and they are not urgent. We
can delay taking time for our kids. We can neglect our
health for a long time before obvious problems occur.
Recently I saw a biography of Donald Rumsfield, and one of
the points they made is that he "moves toward problems; he
never turns his back or walks away." That is a sound
strategy!
High achievers expect challenges. They know that as they
move forward, problems will occur. Unexpected things will
happen, and they maintain an attitude of optimism, humor,
strength and resolve in the face of difficulties. They know
that as they become ever more successful, the size and
complexity of their problems will only grow. How could it
be any other way?
So, here are a couple of keys to solving problems:
1. Expect difficulty! This is no surprise, it is not unfair
or unusual. Life is complicated. Get good at it.
2. Keep a buffer around the edges of your life. Maintain a
reserve of extra time, savings in the bank, and a bit of
energy to handle the unexpected.
3. Attitudes of optimism and enthusiasm are essential.
4. View difficulties as challenges or learning
opportunities rather than as problems. How we talk about
our difficulties makes a huge difference in how we handle
them. Words matter!
5. "We get by with a little help from our friends." Have a
team of cheerleaders, experts and colleagues on stand-by to
help you over-come any challenge.
6. Be proactive. Take care of difficulties while they are
small. Preventive maintenance is good for your car, your
relationships and your heart.
7. Learn from every experience and (try) not to have the
same problem twice. Learn from difficulties, make changes,
and move on. Never repeat the same life-lesson!
The key is understanding that challenges are how we learn
and grow. Life is about what we learn and what we learn to
do. Expect interesting situations! Taking them in stride
builds your confidence. Never fear trouble; learn to
triumph over it!
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