By Sunny Simon
Over coffee I rambled on sighing dramatically and lamenting a large challenge I faced. My friend gazed at me and chuckled. Puzzled I arched an eyebrow signaling I had no idea what she found so darn funny. Alex put down her coffee cup, looked me square in the eye, and patiently explained that I would not be so frustrated if I took my own advice. Pausing for effect Alex suggested I read my past columns and blogs. Frowning I slumped in my seat. She was right. I was wasting my time whining. Life was testing me. Perhaps I had the answer tucked away like a cheat sheet hidden from sight.
Back in my office I followed up. My recent challenge took me out of my comfort zone. Sure enough, I found advice in past columns I’d written. “In the zone you maintain a low stress level, relatively free of anxiety. Don’t be deceived, that is not a good thing.”
Got it I thought. Get out of my comfort zone. What’s next? I read on, “Commit to making changes.” Mentally I fought back declaring it was too hard, but I continued reading. “Feeling fearful of change? That’s normal.” Gaining courage I pressed on. “Here’s the good news.” (Oh good I thought, needing some good news). “There are only three parts to implementing change: desire, intent and persistence. You must do the work; it doesn’t happen on its own.” Darn, now we’re back to it being difficult.
I had the desire and intent, but what if I failed? My wise self had an answer for that one too. “The remedy for bouncing back after you’ve stumbled and fallen involves taking action. First, step up and take ownership. No stalling around looking for excuses. Own it.”
If I fail, then I own it. Could be painful, but worth a try so I read on. “Next, focus on the root cause and begin brainstorming solutions. Once you have created a fix, act on it quickly, do not let it diminish your confidence.”
Summing up my written advice brought me to the unwritten conclusion. When faced with a challenge, deal with it, don’t fight it. If you fail, get back up and try something else. Bottom line, we all know the answers to any problem we encounter. Sometimes it just takes a bit of prodding before we listen to our wise inner voice.
Sunny Simon is the owner of Raise the Bar High Life and Career Coaching and the author of the blog, www.lifeonthesunnyside.net
