There are times in life where I’ve failed or hit the wall. In those moments, it’s easy to become engulfed with negativity.
However, reflecting objectively on those grim times, they’ve consistently happened for a reason.
Cause for a shift in direction
When I reflect on those challenging times, they’ve almost always been a catalyst for a shift in a better direction; a correction point that was necessary.
A simple recent example of mine happened at the gym.
I’ve been working with the guidance of a coach for over a year now, slowly increasing weight and resistance.
A couple of weeks ago I pulled a back muscle while completing a dead-lift. I simply lost focus on proper form for a split second.
I knew the benefits of a using weightlifting belt but had not prioritized buying one.
As you can guess, I own one now. I’m back to those dead-lifts with a renewed confidence that will allow me to continue to increase my personal limit.
At times it’s good to plan to fail
A business example I can think of occurred several years ago.
We were offering a guaranteed trade-in program. If you purchased a property through us, we would guarantee a minimum sale price for your existing property if it had not sold within a specific period.
Although there’s much data applied to arrive at a value within the real estate valuation process, I knew that if the program were to be successful in attracting many trades we would end up purchasing the odd property.
There are many factors that affect real estate value; unforeseen economic headwinds can quickly escalate to negatively impact a plan.
We did experience those headwinds and subsequently ended up with some pecuniary loss.
However, the overall benefits of the program to our clients and profit from the collective files was incredibly positive.
Just because I may strike-out occasionally, does not mean it’s too risky to play ball.
Acceptance of some fear
If I have a desire to stretch myself and continue to grow, there will be some fear present in my life.
I can choose to allow fear to dominate me, or I can choose to lean into the fear and harness it for growth.
As an individual who embraces change, I accepted long ago that from time to time there would be some element of it present in life.
Fearful situations such as facing a conflict of interest head on often don’t come at convenient times.
Fear of the unknown for clients is no different, and we work hard to help them identify what level of risk they’re willing to face.
I’ve noted before that I subscribe to, “do unto others as you would have done unto you!”
When I frame fear as an ingredient for growth, I feel good when it presents in my life. It means I’m on yet another path of discovery.
A path that will lead me to become a better person who contributes more to the world around me.
Posted by Barry Stuart
