How we deal with adversity, stress, tension, or challenges is how successful our life is. I’ve said in a previous post, if you lose your shit over things it’s indicative of weakness. Don’t get me wrong… there ARE times when we should lose our shit. There are times for outrage and massive action or reaction. You need to choose when that is. Choose wisely.
Adversity comes in many forms; long flights, long layovers, lost bags. Lack of sleep, disappointment, conflict with loved ones. Surprises or uncertainty in life, all these things can fall under the category of challenges.
I’ll be the second (or third) to admit that from time to time when things don’t work out the way I want them to, I fly off the handle, I cuss and swear, I throw things, and I get all worked up. It’s not pretty.
Problems are relative but I’ve had a challenging week. If I’m not careful and conscious I can begin reacting to things without elegance and grace. This is not the man I want to be. I’m not going to go on and on about myself but I’m thinking this is what most people want. We want to handle problems with ease, we want to listen to the important people in our lives even when times are challenging. And think about what’s needed to skillfully handle challenging interactions with children? Your children.
The quality of your life and the ease at which your days unfold has nearly everything to do with how you handle challenges. If you handle challenges without becoming negative you’re starting to win. When you remain patient when someone is rude or disrespectful, your life is better.
This requires training. It requires work, effort, and tenacious effort over a long period of time. It requires being a scientist and experimenting. It requires slowing things down and staying in the part of your brain that handles complex problem solving, creativity, and rational thinking. You got it but it won’t be easy. Are you up for the challenge?