You can tell a lot about a person by the way she handles adversity. You’ve seen it, I’m sure. Some crash and burn, while others stumble and totter and waver for a bit, but then come back up stronger than ever before.
What makes the difference?
It could be a number of things, but let me tell you what made a big difference in my own life. I began to handle problems and adversity differently after a friend shared this truth with me.
Life is not a battlefield nor a chessboard nor a prison. Life is more like a school.
We all understand the basic concepts of school and how it is built in a natural progression. In college you enroll in a degree or certificate program in your field of choice. However, you have to first complete a core curriculum of general studies before you can advance to your major classes. And within the core curriculum there are certain classes that require prerequisites before you can move forward. For example, one must complete Literature 101 and 102 before moving on to 200 and 300 level classes. If you don’t pass a required course you have to take it again until you get the passing grade.
It’s the same way in life. There are lessons we have to learn to move forward, and when we don’t learn the necessary information, we have to repeat the lesson over and over until we learn what we need to know to move forward. And with each repeated class the process becomes more painful.
Think about this concept in the light of your own life. Have you ever found yourself in the same bad position over and over again? Does it have to do with money problems? You pay off credit cards only to max them out again – and again – with no end in sight?
Or perhaps you have a tendency to fall for the “high risk – high gain” promise. It looks so good at the outset, and yet time and again it turns against you and goes south almost before you know what hit you. But you’re sure next time will be different. It never is.
There is a strong possibility that a lesson is contained here that has not yet been learned. In fact, it probably contains exactly what you need to learn in order to move onto the next step to achieve exactly what you want.
When you look at life this way there are no mistakes, only necessary valuable lessons. You can enjoy the times that are great. But then realize that when times are not so great, you just might be in the midst of a pre-requisite that is needed to take you where you want to go. And that is up to that next level.
You are investing in Life 101. The school of life. Learn your lessons well, and get on down the road in your journey to living a fulfilled RichLife.
Founder of RichLife Adviors, Beau focuses his energy on leading clients and other businesses toward defining and living their definition of a “rich life.” As the Vice President and Senior Financial Advisor of Fiduciary Capital in Gainesville, GA, he has helped over 2,000 clients identify their goals in life and achieve financial independence. His expertise on financial planning and RichLife Success principles are featured in multiple publications, the RichLife Show on local radio stations, and monthly training events and seminars. He has worked alongside and trained with some of the most respected business coaches in the nation, including, Jack Canfield, author and CEO of the Chicken Soup for the Soul franchise. His debut book is set to be released September, 2010. Check out Beau along with other RichLife Advisors and upcoming events at www.richlifeadvisors.com.