Many times in our life, we are left with no hope and no happiness. Many times, at work, we are left with no choice and no support. Many times, we are pushed into accepting an impossible goal. Many times, we get tested to the very limits of our core.
How many times have we taken such challenges head on, demonstrated resilience, a will to overcome, and successfully turned the situation around? I have faced several challenging situations at home and at work, and often I have been surprised at my own ability to weather the storm. I may not have done it with utmost grace and dignity, but I did emerge from the crisis. Not knowing where I would end up, I often started with hesitation, learning as I went along, taking help from wherever it came, and doing all that was physically possible. With each experience, I built a little more confidence, gained a little more self-awareness, generated a little more resilience, and developed a little more appreciation and gratitude for what I had.
Sheryl Sandberg's inspiring speech at UC, Berkeley, a year after she lost her husband, is the one that I go back to, again and again. What an amazing speech by an amazing woman!!
A couple of my favorite quotes and key takeaways:
1. 'When life sucks you under, you can kick against the bottom, find the surface, and breathe again' – Don't lose hope. You may have hit rock bottom but the situation can only become better!
2. 'The days that challenge you to the very core will determine who you really are. The seeds of resilience are planted in the very moments of how we process the negative events of our lives. Finding gratitude and appreciation is key to resilience.' – Take the challenge head-on. Face it, don't run away. You will learn many a lesson from the struggles and the hardships.
I would love to hear your reactions and responses to overcoming challenges and what each episode taught you.
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