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1.
Accept The Challenge. Eleanor Roosevelt said, “You have
to accept whatever comes and the only important thing is that you meet it
with courage and with the best you have to give.” Accepting the challenge
is important because it moves you from being a victim, who says, “Why did
this have to happen to me?” to being a victor, who says, “What is life
expecting from me?” Think back to when you were in high school. Chances
are you did not get promoted to the next higher grade until you passed a
certain test. Why would life treat you any differently? It doesn’t. Life
is a fair, nondiscriminatory teacher who says, “If you want to progress
(and not stay stuck where you are), you must pass this test.” Have you
ever had the experience of being tested by life and wondering why, only to
find out later that the test prepared you for something you had no idea
you would eventually face? If you answered, “yes,” that means life did its
job.
2. Control Your Attitude.
William James said, “The greatest discovery of my generation is that human
beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of minds.”
Controlling your attitude is important because with a good attitude, you
can turn challenging experiences into positive lessons. No matter how hard
it rains, it will eventually stop; and once the rain stops, you can find
the rainbow—if you choose to look for it. Your attitude is a reflection of
how you think about things. It is the filter through which you see the
world. Your attitude is based on what you have been taught, what you
choose to focus on and what you believe about life. How would your life be
different if you embraced the attitude of gratitude no matter what the
situation? The thing to remember is that attitude is a choice, and you are
responsible for yours.
3. Stay Focused. Oliver
Wendell Holmes said, “The greatest thing in the world is not so much where
we are, but in what direction we are moving.” Staying focused is important
because you can maximize your potential through the power of
concentration. Whatever you focus on in your life grows. When you’re
experiencing challenging times, it’s extremely important for you to focus
on the lesson and grow (not go) through the experience. Questions are a
powerful way to focus your attention. A good friend of mine, Melvin J.
Gravely, said, “The power is not in the answer, it’s in the question,
because the question drives our thinking.” To help focus your mind, ask
yourself the following question: “Life, what are you trying to reveal to
me through this challenge?” If you continue to ask that question, your
growth opportunity will eventually present itself to you.
4. Keep The Faith. Margaret
Chase Smith said, “This I do believe above all, especially in my times of
greater discouragement, that I must believe—that I must believe in my
fellow man—that I must believe in myself—and that I must believe in God—if
life is to have any meaning. Keeping the faith is important because it
keeps doubt and fear at a safe distance. I can remember sitting in church
early one Sunday morning, I was about 12 or 13 at the time, listening to
the pastor preach his sermon. I can’t tell you the theme of his message,
nor can I tell you his main points. However, he did say something that has
stayed with me all these years. He said, “Fear knocked on the door, faith
answered, and there was no one there.” Unexpected challenges usually force
us to change in some way. One of the reasons we resist change is because
it brings us face-to-face with the unknown—and we like knowing. Sometimes
life requires you to choose faith over fear and act as if everything is
going to be all right.
When it comes to staying motivated in challenging times, it’s not a matter
of “if” Mr. Murphy will visit you, it’s “when.” Remember: Everyone gets a
turn. Viktor Frankl, author of Man’s Search for Meaning, calls it
“unavoidable suffering.” If you accept the challenge, control your
attitude, stay focused and keep the faith, the next time Mr. Murphy comes
to visit you, you can be confident that you’re going to make it through
the difficult times.
Williams is a professional
speaker and author of the best-selling audio program “Staying
Motivated in Challenging Times.” He can be reached at (513) 731-0077
or www.otiswilliams.com |