Courtesy of Ranker
What do you do when things which you have planned and worked so painstakingly hard for takes an ugly turn?
Do you…
A) Sigh, swallow, clench your teeth, pretend it never happened and soldier on?
B) Wail, wallow in sorrow, bitch to the whole world, and just give up?
C) Evaluate what went wrong, consider alternatives, and change your strategy or tactic?
Those who choose option A) are what I call the silent sufferers. These are people who are resigned to their fates, and who do not mind being ridden roughshod throughout their lives.
When life gives these guys lemons, they will make lemonade, adding lots of sugar so that the awful taste is drowned out by dashes of sweetness. Unfortunately, too much sugar, as the doctor tells you, is bad for health. Sooner or later, something is going to give.
Those who choose option B) are what I call the negative noisemakers. They are the influenced – as opposed to the influencers – and their world view and personal circumstances are often shaped by what’s happening around them.
When something sh**ty happens, these folks will blame God, the weather, the government, their neighbour, their wives/husbands and everybody but themselves. Focusing on the negatives, their lives become a downward spiral.
Those who choose option C) are what I call the assertive achievers. They understand that things happen for a reason, and that every failure comes with a valuable lesson.
When things go awry, these folks take the bull by the horns, stare it squarely in the face, and learn what makes it tick. Recovering quickly from the emotional aftershock (after all they’re also human), they will themselves to think positive and look for solutions – a better way to build a mousetrap, or perhaps to catch a different animal altogether.
The next time something crappy happens to you, think carefully about your responses and who you want to be. Choose to be an assertive achiever and learn to control the situation, rather than to let yourself be controlled. Focus on the future while learning from the past, and never fail to return to the drawing board.
The saying goes that whatever doesn’t kill you will make you stronger. May I add that it should also make you smarter and savvier in dealing with the road ahead.
