When Life Throws You a Curve Ball
January 14, 2009
Not all things are predictable, nor are we prepared for everything that arrives in our life. When thrown a curve ball in life it is important to gather the facts and consider your options before responding. Moving away from the emotional response is key to making a good decision when you have to deal with an unexpected circumstance.
When your life is in order, you are less likely to be thrown off balance by events out of your control. It is much easier to handle hurdles when you have been taking care of business along the way.
If you encounter a catastrophic event, having a close support system in place will be beneficial. Whether it be a personal or a professional setback, the right people and resources will give you strength when you are weakened.
The Curve Ball Notebook:
Keep a notebook handy with the all the important information in your life including the names and phone numbers of those you may need to contact in an emergency. Consolidating this information in one handy place will reducing the stress and time it takes to gather it in the midst of a crisis. No one wants to spend time looking for a phone or account number while they are emotionally distraught. Take time to organize important documents properly.
The key to surviving uncertainty is preparation and a strong social support network.
Redefine Your Failures to Lessons Learned
January 6, 2009
Taking each previous experience you labeled a failure and redefining it to a lesson learned will focus your attention on what is gained from mistakes rather than what was lost in the lesson. By learning from our mistakes they can no longer be defined as a failure and will be a part of our successes.
Those that process their errors and move forward fastest root themselves in overcoming rather than in regret. By taking appropropriate action and leading with a vision going forward you’re mistakes can become assets and lessons for yourself and those around you.
One of the most important things you can do is own up to your mistakes. By admitting them and moving towards the solution is a story worth communicating. A person who continues to share over and over the drama of his mistakes and failures without ever discussing the solution becomes a nuicance to listen to. Sharing a mistake and discussing how you overcame it will make you someone worth paying attention to. It takes courage to admit when you were wrong but great leaders move in a positive direction when they do.
“Appreciate your mistakes for what they are: precious life lessons that can only be learned the hard way… unless it is a fatal mistake, which, at least, others can learn from,” observes satirist Al Franken.
Brainstorming with your team and using the resources and teachers around you to overcome the errors made will engage the team in the solution rather than keeping them in the problem and the blame game. Applying the different opinions and strategies of your network to solve your issues will improve the success of the challenges you are faced with.
The more mistakes you make the more successes you will have. Do not get rooted in the fear of making another mistake and stop trying. The people around you will no longer look negatively on mistakes made when the stigma and burden is shifted to the positive and each is working together in an open honest environment where mistakes are ok.
Great Thinkers Choose the Best from the Worst
January 4, 2009
We have choices in every thing we do. It is a qualification of a great thinker to be able to make the right choice in the situations they are faced with. It isn’t just luck but a matter of good reasoning which allows these people to scan the options and make the right choice.
There are several things you can do to improve your decision making process to ensure your choices are right for you.
First, get emotion out of the decision making process. If you angry or over excited give your self some time before making a choice. If you made a mistake and can not change the past decision get over it and move on. Going over and over the “what ifs” in your head will keep you in the problem and away from the recovery process and moving to a better decision to fix the issue.
Second, educate yourself and look into options and choices, never think there is one way to go or that the way someone else went is the way you have to do it.
Third, listen to you inner voice and trust your intuition. Most of your life experience is held within your subconscious honestly and the instinctive choice is most often the right one. Many times if you over think or take others opinions or outside influences into consideration you will regret your choice.
Fourth, always make the choice that you can live with. If you have conviction for your choice you won’t have a need to apologize for it later. Change is the motto of the year but you can’t elect someone who wants to make changes and sit back and watch.
Being a part of the change requires all of us to start making better choices and find the diamond in the rough throughout all of our decisions moving forward. Most people have the right answer within them and only reach out to others so they don’t have to take full responsibility for their choices if they are wrong. Stop trying to find a way out or defer to others and take your life and it’s path more seriously.
Making a good decision on your own is rewarding and empowering. Remember it is not always the shortest route to a decision that is correct sometimes the best route is a longer road.
3 days left – Take action and make a difference in 2009
December 29, 2008
We must prepare to define 2009 and not let it define us. Taking action to make a difference in your life as well as the lives of the people around you will come to the forefront as suffering will increase from recent and continued hardships felt around the world.
Here is a list of things I feel can make a difference if practiced:
1. Try and eat anything that you can hunt, fish, harvest or pick and refrain from processed foods.
2. As your light bulbs burn out replace some of them with fluorescent bulbs and turn off your lights in unused spaces.
3. Complement yourself and one other person every day.
4. Get back to basic staples and fundamentals. Use less and save more.
5. Drink a glass of water before every meal or snack.
6. Learn or accomplish something new and teach something you already know to someone worthy.
7. Help an unemployed friend get a job.
8. Make an effort to know at least 5 of your neighbors before there is a tragedy.
9. Get involved in politics and have a voice either locally at the state level or nationally.
10. Volunteer. Find an organization where you can volunteer your time or services.
A new year, a new administration, a new chance to finally make a difference with you and with the world. Selfishness, Self-centeredness, greed, waste and laziness is out this is the time to be prepared with your “A” game.
I am a bit partial but the American Red Cross and Global security Institute are two organizations that I believe are easy to support and necessary. There are many resources and opportunities to fit your schedule and if you are unemployed this is a great networking opportunity and a way to fill in gaps on your resume.
3 days left – more to come. Let’s defy the odds and together use each other to turn this mess around.
