Why Becoming Upset about Adversity is a Waste of Time

submitted by Gerry Bock
Should you walk away when facing the impossible, or test yourself against the odds?

Imagine you are living 3,000 years ago. Your job is to bring food to the battle front. You arrive to find the army quaking with fear, deadlocked in a standoff, afraid of being badly beaten by the opposition.

The enemy is daring your troops to send out their best fighting man to settle the dispute one to one, with the victor claiming the entire spoils. Your army believes that no matter who they send, it will be a losing battle. As a shepherd boy, you are an unlikely warrior, untrained in this type of battle. Regardless, you volunteer to fight. Everyone on your side is relieved, cheering you on, and offering you well-meaning advice.

Up Against a Larger Force

Should the outcome be risked on one undersized shepherd boy? The opposition is sending a giant, armed with superior weapons and shiny armor. This is a mismatched fight from the beginning.

Winning epic battles against the odds will require thinking outside the box.

Creative thinking, alone, will only generate random ideas, and will still need a focused strategy to make it work. To increase the odds in your favour, you will also require knowledge, superior decision making skills, and a system to apply your decisions, as problems are never one size fits all. So what do you do when you do not have the skills and tools needed?

Feel Like Giving Up?

So, what do you call someone who refuses to give up? Tenacious? Courageous? Resilient?

Enter the Hero

Perhaps your definition of a hero is a champion who persists in the face of lousy opportunities for success, to achieve the goal. When we experience adversity, rarely is a successful outcome possible without a long trail of failures and collateral damages.

What is the Difference between Failure and Winning?

We are taught to be tenacious, have courage and keep on trying, as if continuing to work harder, while doing the same things, will bring a different outcome. Greater effort is only useful when we already know what we need to do, and how to get over the finish line.

On the other hand, if we do not have a recipe or system to follow, we are likely headed for intense frustration.

A Qualified Coach Will Make All the Difference

Don’t waste another second being upset. A competent professional will assess your situation, and apply a system for resolving the problem facing you, so you can get on with what is most important to you.
Find a coach, find a system that will work for your situation, and start enjoying your new life.