5 Powerful Steps to Turning Adversity into Opportunity

Adversity is something nobody can elude forever. Whether you’re a risk-taker or someone who likes to play things safe, life will inevitably throw challenges in your direction.

That could be something in your professional life (maybe you missed out on a promotion or you lost your job after years of dedicated service). It could also be something in your personal life (maybe you were the victim of a traumatic crime or someone close to you just died).

Often, people experience a sense of injustice or hopelessness when something bad happens to them. We wonder “why did this happen to me?” or “how will I cope?”

Whilst it’s important to work through the emotions that these episodes provoke, it’s also important not to wallow in self-pity and despair.

Acceptance

The first step to turning adversity into opportunity is acceptance. You need to accept the reality of what has happened, and accept the fact that this isn’t something you can go back and change. Reliving past events and allowing yourself to become consumed with disappointment, anger, guilt or regret is not a healthy process.

You should never deny the reality of what has happened or the emotions this has stirred, but rather than worrying about what you could have done differently, you should start thinking about what changes you want to make moving forward. At the same time, you should accept that there are things beyond your control, and allow yourself to let go of any fear of the difficulties you might face in the future. Otherwise, you will end up living in a state of paralysis.

Taking responsibility

When adversity strikes, people often feel like victims, and this becomes a kind of archetypal role that they assume. People like to be able to find someone to blame when things go wrong in their lives, and find some sort of transient comfort in the notion of their own innocence or misfortune. Ultimately, however, this is not a constructive way to approach the situation.

In some cases, such as the death of a loved one from natural causes, there really is no-one to blame. In others, such as losing a job, you may be able to identify someone who could have treated you differently, but focusing on that person won’t get you anywhere.

Whilst the situation may be something you could never have prevented, the way you respond to it is something you can take responsibility for. The way in which you handle negative experiences is up to you, and once you realise that, you will be empowered to find positive ways of channelling your energy.

Recognising what you have learnt

If you have managed to accept the unpleasant experiences you have endured, and you have taken responsibility for the way you react, it’s important to stop and reflect on the ways in which that journey has affected you. Has it made you a stronger person, better prepared to take on challenges in future? Are you wiser now, more comfortable with your place in the world? Perhaps you will even be able to pass on the insights you have gained to others facing adversity of their own.

Identifying new goals

There is no better time to take stock of the direction in which your life is heading. If you lost your job, this is the time to be honest with yourself – were you 100% happy with your career path so far, or does your passion lie elsewhere? If you lost a parent to a preventable disease, you could use this to motivate yourself to live a healthier life. Or you might just be more grateful for the time you’ve got, and think of new things you want to achieve, places you want to see, or experiences you want to have.

Pursuing your dreams

Once you’ve set some new goals for yourself, remember how active you are in dictating your own destiny, and follow your dreams!

This post was written by Joel who is an online consultant to an NLP training provider called Inspire 360.

That Goal is Achievable! 8 Tips to Making it Become a Reality

Shadow Boxing – Your Way to Success!

TAKE the TEST! True OR False?

Is it TRUE that the mind can’t tell the difference between REAL experiences and IMAGINED experiences? Does it react the same way to both Real & Imaginary events?

YES! It’s true.

You can use this principle to your advantage. The theory has been tested in the past. The power of imagining was tested by pitting 3 different groups of students against each other, shooting Basketball Hoops.

A large number of students were tested for their skill at shooting baskets, while standing at the free throw line. From a large group of students, 3 smaller groups of kids, equal size and similar skills were formed. ALL 3 groups shot roughly the same percentage of baskets at the start of the test.

The first group was the Control Group, so for the next few weeks they did NOT practice at all. They were NOT allowed to go into the gym. Group Number 2, entered the gym and practiced doing free throws for 20 minutes EACH day.

The third Group also practiced for 20 minutes everyday, but they NEVER touched a basketball! Each student was told to practice only “in their heads”. They had to IMAGINE shooting free throws for 20 minutes. They NEVER touched a basketball!

At the end of the TESTING period, the First Group, which had NOT practiced, showed NO improvement. When re-tested their scores were the same as their earlier ones.

The Second Group, that had practiced WITH basketballs, shooting REAL free throws, tested 20% HIGHER than their earlier scores.

CHECK THIS OUT!

The Big Shock was Group number 3, which tested 19% BETTER! They NEVER touched a basketball. This proved that we can actually learn a skill by practicing it in our heads.

Is there something that you’re not good at, but you would like to Improve?

If your answer is YES, then just play it over and over again in your mind. IMAGINE and SEE yourself doing this NEW activity, successfully. It works.

BOXERS are very successful using this technique.They IMAGINE fighting their opponents over and over for hours before all important Boxing matches. This has been called “Shadow Boxing.”

Salesmen and Athletes DO IT! This can be a way to build familiarity with any New situation. It builds up confidence.

Mental Imaginary WORKS!

If it’s good enough to help SET Olympic World Records AND BUILD fortunes… what could it possibly do for you?

TRY Shadow Boxing with yourself……

Is there something that you’ve felt too INADEQUATE to attempt? Need a raise? Want to start a New Business? Have desires to write an eBook?

Just IMAGINE yourself doing this thing. Maybe it’s telling your wife that your bother-in-law can’t come to your house this weekend. Maybe it could be going to see your bank about a loan. Whatever it is, IMAGINE it mentally OVER and OVER, again.

ALWAYS remember – your MIND cannot really tell the difference between something you “imagine” and something “real”. YOUR objective is to REPEAT the situation so MANY times that it’s comfortable by the time you actually DO the thing for real. Once you practice enough, it’s nothing new to you.

Add this important new skill to your Emotional Toolbox. Do one repetition at a time and SHADOW BOX your way TO THE TOP!

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Tired of going back to the word GO? Bill Vannot teaches the rules for a Winning Game Plan. Visit Bill today for your business strategy at  http://www.BillVannot.com

Seven Tips For Finding Success in All Our Endeavors

Success in life is not measured by wealth but by peace of understanding. A wealthy person with no peace is a poor person even though he may be regarded as successful. A poor person with all the peace in the world is a rich man even though he is not considered a success. Either way a balance in both can be accomplished if we have the right guidance in whatever we do.

1. Goal or Dream

Having a goal in life is paramount to understanding our existence. A goal could be a dream, a desire to do something, achieve something, make a difference or anything for that matter. Without a goal or dream this exercise is fruitless. Why would we work without knowing what we are working for? Setting the goal is the first step in making sure that something happens. From this point onwards there would be reason for the effort we put into achieving it.

2. Motivation

Without motivation it is difficult to find a reason for doing anything. This is why the dream or goal must be chosen carefully. It is important to know who we are, what we like and what we are capable of doing. These three things enable us to choose carefully what we wish for. If we have chosen correctly then our motivation would surface in the toughest of times.

3. Determination

Reaching the end point for any achievement is driven by determination and zeal. Overcoming the tough times means we must fight with all we’ve got in order to succeed. The strength of the spirit within us must be willing to push us beyond our boundaries and limits in order for us to succeed. Nothing is gained by giving up when we hit obstacles.

4. Self belief

Self belief is very important in ensuring that we have no doubt in what we have chosen to do. Self belief ensures that we stand by our decisions and do for ourselves whatever is necessary to accomplish what we set out to do. Self belief overcomes all the negativity that we could face when we seek advice from others. For those who believe in God this task is a lot easier as his word is truth.

5. Structure

Structure builds discipline. We must have a plan that gives us an idea of how we wish to pursue our endeavor. In this plan we would have schedules. It doesn’t have to be followed to the letter but it is important for us to have some type of scale to measure any progress or regression. It also helps keep us focused on what we desire. Structure also helps us maintain our health and puts in place measures to ensure that we do.

6. A level of Selfishness

Selfishness used in the right way can be a positive thing rather than a negative thing. To focus on our dreams or goals may sometimes require us not to be present in all the other activities that surround us. It is difficult to try to appease everyone at the same time and appease ourselves as well, this is why a certain level of selfishness is required. This ensures that we have the right focus and listen to the right voices.

7. Prayer and faith

Although we may refute this, it is the key weapon in our success. This is what distinguishes between achieving wealth solely for financial gain without peace and achieving wealth with peace. Also if all our efforts end up with nothing as there are no guarantees that they should we can seek answers to our questions at a high level of understanding.

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by Leslie Musoko
http://lesliemusoko.ning.com
http://lesliemusoko.blogspot.com

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