How Do You Respond To Adversity?

How you respond to setbacks, failures, disappointments, and adversity is key to both your ability to get the results you desire as well as your ability to enjoy the ride (attain satisfaction in life).

Think about it…

When something stands in your way, perhaps you are relieved of your job or a relationship doesn’t work out as you expected…how do you respond?

Is it one of these:

• You withdraw and become “numb” to the entire situation and life?
• Do you come up with “excuses” as to why it didn’t work out?
• Do you “blame” other people or situations around you?
• Does it impact every area of your life, even areas that are completely unrelated?
• You let it entirely stop (or at least delay) progress toward larger goals?

Or, are you able to respond with one of these:

• You take responsibility for what happened
• You learn (but not dwell) on the negative outcome to get better the next time?
• You channel your frustration, anger and disappointment into motivation to improve?
• Your resolve is magnified, you become more focused on your desired outcome than ever before?
• You can accept the fact that these bumps in the road are learning opportunities and everyone goes through them

The most important times in your life are often traced back to these points of adversity in your life, will you be able to look back and see a habit of using these times to make you more focused, more motivated adding fuel to your already burning fire or will you look back with regret and frustration that you were not able to take the right path when hit with adversity?

The choice is yours, your personal power comes down to this…if you see a pattern of dealing with adversity you don’t like (withdrawing, escape, laying blame) then resolve to look at adversity in a entirely new light…as necessary, as an opportunity to reach your end goals faster and higher than before.

Can you point to a time in your life where you have learned and grown based on adversity you faced?