Choosing Your Own Reality

Reality can suck, especially on TV. Contestants are regularly voted off the island, fired from apprentice jobs and judged to be lacking in any discernible talent.

In “real life,” serious disappointments are likewise bitter pills to swallow. Many of us have endured significant economic hardships — from downsizing and outright business failures to mortgage crises and investment losses. Few of us have escaped unaffected.

Some people are more resilient, bouncing back quickly. Others struggle to cope with the changes forced upon them. What makes the ‘realities’ different?

While few of us personally contributed to the housing bubble and bank collapses, each of us must take ownership of our responsibility to effect personal change and move forward. It may be tempting to see yourself as an unfortunate victim, but this line of thinking leaves you feeling helpless. When you assign yourself the role of victim, you deplete the energy and creative energy you need to be resilient.

Is it time to view your situation in a different way — an approach that many of us inherently fear and resist. You have to get to make a choice:

• Are you ready to take steps to remedy the situation?
• Do you want to remain stuck?
• Do you want to flourish?

Meer survival has little energy or movement to it.  Thriving however energizes us to move forward. The problem is, we’re profoundly affected by loss. It drains our physical and emotional reserves, and it can contaminate our thought processes. Instead of optimism about the future, we can become prone to negative thinking, doubts and fears.

These tough situations and emotions are good reasons to work with a coach like myself. You can’t know what you don’t know, and your best thinking probably won’t lead you out of a negative hole. The foundation of my Sustainable Leadership Coaching is Resilience and Adaptability.

Acknowledging reality is one thing. Choosing to thrive see and responding to situations differently requires courage and imagination.

How do you manage your view of reality – resiliency? I’d love to hear from you.