SPECIAL LIMITED TIME OFFER This month's featured article focuses on Bad News May Really Be Good News.
Have you ever had something happen in your life that, at first glance, looked like a terrible misfortune but looking back you see that it was actually a valuable experience, which taught you something you needed to know? Sometimes, events that look difficult at the moment turn out to give us inspiration or new direction and focus. A fable that I read many years ago sums up my point perfectly:A farmer had a horse but one day, the horse ran away and so the farmer and his son had to plow their fields themselves. Their neighbors said, "Oh, what bad luck that your horse ran away!" But the farmer replied, "Bad luck, good luck, who knows?" The next week, the horse returned to the farm, bringing a herd of wild horses with him. "What wonderful luck!" cried the neighbors, but the farmer responded, "Good luck, bad luck, who knows?" Then, the farmer's son was thrown as he tried to ride one of the wild horses, and he broke his leg. "Ah, such bad luck," sympathized the neighbors. Once again, the farmer responded, "Bad luck, good luck, who knows?" ¾¾A short time later, the ruler of the country recruited all young men to join his army for battle. The son, with his broken leg, was left at home. "What good luck that your son was not forced into battle!" celebrated the neighbors. And the farmer remarked, "Good luck, bad luck, who knows?"
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(Notice that I did not know what to choose, but I knew what I did not want, which was my first step.) I had to stop drinking and drugging, get a job, and look for a way out, which wasn’t easy for a 22-year old. Boy, did I feel sorry for myself. Looking back nearly 30 years later, what seemed like the end of the world was actually the beginning of a new world, which I might never have found had I not crashed and burned at such a young age. At 48 years old, I now live a life I never could have even imagined when I was 22.
Finding Opportunities within Challenges She went on to say that after the shock of the news that the cancer had reoccurred, she had a realization. While she doesn’t know if this third episode will be ‘her time” or not, realized that, either way, she needs to address some unfinished business with two of her children. While she would ordinarily prefer to avoid this issue, she now feels she must deal with it. Through her terrible news, once again, comes the urgency and courage to face her toughest issues head on. She has decided to be honest with her children and share what she knows in her heart needs to be said. Successful people share with me, over and over, similar stories about some perceived terrible event like a divorce or illness or loss that changed the entire course of their lives dramatically. Yet that change may also have brought them to a place that is indescribably better than they could ever have imagined. Had those supposedly terrible experiences not happened, they might not have found the resolve to make other changes happen along the way. I am not suggesting that there are no such things as tragedies or losses. What I am saying is that loss and pain can be just one aspect of a difficult experience; positives can result from making meaningful experiences out of our challenges. For example, one mother who lost her child to a drunk driver formed Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD), an organization that has saved many lives. Helen Keller used a lack of sight or hearing to teach the rest of us important lessons about living. Nelson Mandela spent half his life in prison trying to bring peace to South Africa yet emerged from his prison cell to lead his country as its first post-apartheid president. The next time you perceive something as really bad, try also to look for the gifts in disguise. It’s all in the way you look at it.
Tools 1) I would invite you to look back over your own life. See if you remember times that were really bad but they worked out to be for the better in the end—times when a rough patch was not the end of the road but the beginning of a whole new direction. How many positives can you identify out of some tough situations in your past?Transition and growth is not always comfortable or positive, but it’s not the end of the story. 2) When you find yourself in a difficult period, ask yourself a different question: How could this be for me? Or, what do I need to learn from this? Remember to keep asking, because the answers will seemingly come out of the blue. “There are no mistakes, no coincidences; all events are blessings given to us to learn from." —Elisabeth Kubler-Ross "Every adversity contains an equal or greater benefit." —Napoleon Hill Business Tip! “Do what you do so well that they will want to see it again and bring their friends”. -- Walt Disney I have built many a successful businesses based on this months tip If you want to build a business that has high repeat sales and predictable long term growth and staying power you have to remember this. You are not just selling a product or service you are selling an experience. If I am thinking about doing business with you or your company the first question I ask myself is will this be a a good experience will I enjoy this? Will they treat me well? If I feel like the answer is yes, then I buy if it feels like it could be difficult, stressful or even painful I run the other way. If you enjoy your experience with a company You will not only come back to have that experience again and again you will want to tell all your friends about this great experience! Sounds so simple yet how many times do you see businesses not practice this simple concept? Ask yourself these simple questions: 1. Every time someone has contact with your business are they having a pleasant experience? 2. When was the last time you asked your customers how you were doing? 3. What does a terrific experience in my business look and feel like? 4. How can I make that happen automatically? 5. Are your customers your best sales people? 6. Do they recommend you to their friends and co-workers? If you would like to really get this philosophy in your bones I highly recommend reading Customers for Life - By Carl Sewell The Art of Purposeful Living I just heard from a friend of mine, Mike Connor that he is presenting a workshop in the Boston area on April 21-23rd called, The Art of Purposeful Living. Mike has been presenting and designing personal and professional development seminars since 1993. He is a top, facilitator, trainer and my very first coach; I highly recommend anything Mike is involved in. Working with Mike over the last 6 years has had a profound effect on the quality of my life. This weekend promises to be a very powerful experience. I have personally attended several of his seminars and would highly recommend attending, especially if you are looking at the purpose and meaning of your life. Please click on the link for more information and details about the seminar
About Steve Steve Kennedy
is a personal coach specializing in working with entrepreneurs. Copyright (c)
2005, all rights reserved. You may copy, forward or distribute Tools for
WINNING The Game Newsletter provided the copyright notice and full information
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