Finding strength in adversity

You don’t need to read many biographies to find out that any road to success is generally paved with its share of hardship. This gives a lot of credence to the expression “nothing ventured, nothing gained.” While it’s hard to argue against these truths, the trick is to manage a low point and transcend it into extra strength and future success. This is the topic of this blog. All of us have been there before from the time we fell from our bike, missed an exam, failed a job interview, messed up a major business opportunity, made an avoidable "big mistake" or received a significant “haircut” in a stock market transaction. What's also true is the more often we fall, the more practice we get, and the easier it becomes to get back on our feet. Although there’s no magic formula, here is – for what it’s worth - my approach to handling these heartbreaks.
1. Accept the situation. A critical step; never let the string of “couda, wouda, shouda” seep into your mind. Instead, fully embrace the reality, smell it, sense it and experience it with all the pain and unpleasantness that comes with it. Give it the necessary time, but once mourning is over, realize that you’re alive, nothing is forever lost and all can be rebuilt in stronger and better ways. At this point, don’t let other people tell you otherwise, feel sorry for you, or remind you how unlucky you were. It’s your deal, not theirs. This turnaround builds a clean, unambiguous new start and clears up the dead-weight of second-guessing and regretting.
2. Deploy a focused response. Thrust every resource you have into the reconstruction process, making it your single largest goal. Develop a calendar and a plan incorporating any lesson learned. Both will serve to measure your progress and keep the desired outcome in view at all times. Being competitive helps, but maintaining a sharp focus is crucial.
3. Push the envelope. Strive to exceed your plan, both qualitatively and quantitatively, without going crazy, but by always trying to grab any opening for going a bit farther and for pushing a bit harder.
4. Keep your sanity. Have fun whenever there’s an opportunity; don’t take the issue and yourself too seriously, keep important things like your health, your vitality, your personality, your family and friends into perspective and appreciate every moment to its full extent.