What Works: Find your strength in adversity through resiliency
Some of the strongest and most successful people in the world are those who have been through hell and back and came out holding the devil’s pitchfork. They took seemingly insurmountable circumstances and turned them around to create life out of destruction.
Thomas Edison’s teachers told him he was “too stupid to learn anything.” He went on to hold more than 1,000 patents. Oprah Winfrey was fired from her first television job as an anchor in Baltimore. Walt Disney was fired by a newspaper editor because he “lacked imagination and had no good ideas.” In fact, several more of his businesses failed before he had his first big movie hit, “Snow White.” The list goes on and on. People who were labeled as time-wasters, talentless, or exceedingly average grew to become some of the most compelling minds and personalities of our time.
So, what do all of these people have in common? They were resilient.
Did they collapse, crumble, complain, wade in the mud, and resign themselves to a life of “well, that’s what they told me I am so that’s all I am I guess?” No! They took that adverse push and used it to propel themselves forward. They used the drive to move far beyond what people thought they were. They shifted into what they really were, visionaries. People who can be resilient and leverage strength to conquer adversity grow to be bigger and better than ever.
Did you know I once had a teacher tell me I couldn’t write? Today, I use language, words, and coaching to inspire. I hope I’ve inspired you today.
Ultimately, we create what we concentrate on. If we think a situation is hopeless or we are struggling, we will be. If we think that “we’ll never win,” we won’t. However, if we set our minds for success by recognizing the struggle but seeing the gift of growth it could provide, we can overcome anything. What are you struggling with right now? How can you turn it around into an opportunity to be strong, rise above the adversity, and become a bigger and better you? Your brilliance is there. Now, it’s your time to shine. The floor is yours, Carson City.
ABOUT DIANE HANSEN
Diane Hansen is the Chief Inspiration Officer of What Works Coaching, a coaching firm that has helped people worldwide with their businesses, careers, mindsets, and profit margins. She brings to Carson City more than 17 years of experience with a wide array of clients, ranging from top corporations, motivated entrepreneurs and individuals hungry for a fresh start. Her column appears every Monday, and sometimes Tuesday, on Carson Now.