The mastermind session this past week was mind-blowing! We had lots of great and deeply personal insights on leading through a crises at an individual level. The focus was on identifying the opportunities that a crises bestows upon us and how best we can seize them.
Three key perspectives stood out for us:
- Everyone has bad experiences but it’s what we do with it that defines what we become: there’s only so much one can do while going through a rough patch — whining and complaining wouldn’t help. In fact, all it does it stall progress and clouds thinking. Pausing, reflecting, and preparing for the situation creates momentum and creative ideas to deal with the situation at hand. How we react or respond to a crises is what defines us as a person and most importantly, a leader.
- Nobody likes bad experiences — but they are part of everyone’s journey: I’ll be honest, merely accepting this fact can save a lot of heartache and frustrations. Every aspect of our lives is constantly in motion. There are ups and down. They’re never the same. We’re growing old with every passing minute. You can’t stop that. It’s part of our journey as spiritual beings. Ditto for bad experiences. One way to look at it is from John Maxwell’s point of view: “you’re either going up, or getting up!”
- Few people make bad experiences positive experiences — but those who do understand that there are options, and that means there is hope: we pragmatists like to say that “hope isn’t a strategy” or that it’s wishful thinking. For a good measure, it is when things are normal. But when they’re not, like right now, hope hope serves as the fuel for the soul. It’s what helps you push through when the going gets tough. You’re not ignoring reality but merely acknowledging that the grimmest of situations have a way out.
The biggest favor you can do to yourself today is to reflect on this: how can you maintain a positive perspective while still dealing with reality.