Bailouts on Wall Street. Financial doom and gloom. Politicians driving
fear into the common man and woman in the hopes of manipulating them into
voting for them…
These are all common scenarios today, in late 2008. If you listen to the
media, you hear about a lot of obstacles.
But, does it have to be that way?
No!
EVERY obstacle holds opportunity too. Sometimes, we don't see the
opportunity right away, but it's always there.
I've never worked with a client who lost his or her job, for instance,
when they weren't happier a year later. In fact, being downsized counts
among the things people fear most in life, but in my experience, it almost
always leads to the employee taking a new look at their life and what they
want and making some much-needed changes.
The same thing goes for relationships. It's painful to end a relationship
that's not working, but it opens up the opportunity to attract or create a
different kind of relationship that serves your needs better.
Characteristics of Obstacles
Obstacles can feel big and insurmountable. They often keep you static or
move you backwards. Obstacles tend to ask "why?" questions, which only get
you circling the issue over and over again and ultimately can make you feel
stuck.
Characteristics of Opportunities
On the other hand, an opportunity feels like an opening or a new
possibility. It moves you forward and feels easy. Opportunities pose "how?"
questions that accentuate lead to ways to do things differently and help
breaking us out of habitual responses that don't help us. An opportunity
will always call forth your potential and your excitement.
Now, a lot of people were understandably stunned by the big losses and
hits like the economy took last week. But, that was not a problem from last
week. It was a problem from the last 10, 15 or 20 years. We've been headed
this way a long time. Economists call it a correction in our course.
Now, with the story out in the open, it's simply more public, and it's
caught our attention. This is a gift. This might be a great time to re-align
our regulation of some sectors of finance, and is an opportunity for the
whole country to work together to perhaps change the face of debt in our
society.
Not everyone is going to be able to see the opportunity in times like
these. But, if you've been looking at something the same way for many years,
it's time for a new angle on the situation. Try a new perspective.
Be that a relationship, your career, your health, or the economy of the
entire country – the old way of looking at something isn't going to produce
a resolution – it's only going to produce more of the same. So, literally
move to another perspective and start to see the hidden opportunities in the
situation.
Let an event, dilemma or problem
get the better of you and you’re headed
for the place you came from.
Turn that event, dilemma or problem
into an opportunity and you’re cruising
ahead to more success!
Focusing on opportunities on a regular basis will create a habit of
looking for things that will HELP, rather than hinder your efforts. Focus on
choice. Given the choice of panicking and going to bed with a bag of fritos,
or taking a look at how you can spend more thoughtfully in the future, which
sounds more HELPFUL?
