Look Inward

If you have problems, be thankful, it's a sure sign you're alive! Seriously, many people fail to understand that life is a series of problems and challenges to be overcome. The more you have the more you grow through overcoming the challenges life throws at you.

Unfortunately, many people always point to others when they experience issues. They always look outward and point the proverbial finger at everyone else, never turning their attention inward to see what things they may have done that contributed to the challenges they face. Yes, often problems we experience are not of our own making, but more times than not we could have acted differently, acted more quickly, more slowly or more thoughtfully and it would have resulted in a different, perhaps less challenging outcome. The inward review might also help us find ways to strengthen ourselves such that the next time a certain set of circumstances comes our way we might act differently, achieving more and experiencing fewer setbacks.

Having had numerous team members, some regular employees, some incentive based employees, and some in affiliate roles, I've seen many people come and go. Some were quite a bit less talented than I anticipated, some were even more talented than I anticipated, but nearly all who are no longer with my company have had one drawback that will ultimately hold them back from achieving as much in their lives as they might otherwise achieve. They always looked at challenges they encountered and viewed them as a result of someone else's shortcomings, unfulfilled promises, or someone else's weaknesses. Never did they stop to look at themselves as possibly having weaknesses that contributed to, or indeed were the main cause of, their troublesome situation. What a shame, as through that introspection they might have found clues to help them realize more powerful outcomes in their lives going forward.

Whenever I encounter difficulty I always start by trying to objectively evaluate ALL the facts, putting aside my ego and self-pride, and being willing to admit my own shortcomings. I turn my attention to shoring up MY weaknesses. Often I make mistakes more than once, and sometimes I act too slowly to address circumstances that arise, but since I stay the course, evaluating my personal strengths and weaknesses along the way, I do gradually learn from my self evaluation and I eventually find myself making great progress.

So remember whenever you experience challenges -- welcome them and look inward.