Sometimes, I like to sit away from the crowd–with my headphones in, a glass of wine listening to my favorite artist–as I dream about all that life could be. So often I get caught up in the daily grind that I forget to appreciate the little things going on around me.
It's easy to stay locked in when everything is going smooth; you catch every train, all the traffic lights stay green, everyone answers you when you call. What about when that doesn't happen? Your email doesn't get sent in time, you lose a loved one, you can't figure out how to fix a problem you could have avoided if you had just done a few things differently...
The solution tends to be recognized as a simple answer; however, there are many components that must come together for this formula to materialize and come to fruition as it is in your vision. The simple answer is, "how will I react when adversity strikes". Very simple–how I normally react.
The complexity comes into play instantaneously, however. For example, when you miss your train. Do you panic and instead of asking the right questions to get you to your destination on time, you decide to overreact and miss the next train you need as well? How about when you're on a date and everything doesn't go as according to plan. You say the wrong thing or don't quite make the right move every step of the way. Do you lose your cool and show her a weakness in your character, or do you gather yourself and make a power move to show your strength and resilience? Or, when you lose someone dear to you–a family member, father, mother, cousin, even a friend, teammate, or lover–what you do to honor their life and the relationship you had with them means more about your character than you can even fathom.
Being able to overcome such adversities with strength, integrity, grit and empath–I believe–is the greatest key to success. Understanding the simple idea that gathering yourself, slowing the problem down, and realizing life is much bigger than what is in front of you will be an incremental first step in dealing with these inevitable situations life has in store for us all!
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