Get back in the saddle again!
You can have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing we call 'failure' is not the falling down, but the staying down, Mary Pickford once said and it's so true. And only you can do it. If you wait for others to lift you up, not only will you be disappointed – you will stay down.
Get back in the saddle again and look at your problem in ways that will allow a solution.
Now it's time to make an effort and make sure your life and/or business benefits. Many of you actually ask me to write more since you are feeling better after reading what I write. Makes me wonder if you feel good long enough to get back in the saddle again? Because you simply have to.
Are you brave?
These are difficult times and it's essential that you realise that the problem isn't you and get the courage to move on. And it has to come from within you. I appreciate that it's hard but it's in times like these that you separate "winners from loosers"
Opportunities disguised as problems
Being positive is crucial and to look at your problem in ways that will allow a solution. Maybe you have to look at possibilities you never considered before? But no matter what, it will be a question of persevering until you succeed, and not allow yourself to feel down. And don't forget that we are often faced with great opportunities disguised as insoluble problems
Are you "problem friendly"?
How creative are you? Ever thought about the fact that creative people are “problem friendly”? Don't get me wrong, nobody is delighted to deal with problems but now is the time for you to roll up your creative sleeves and find opportunities to improve your life. How? The solutions will be different for each of you. We all have problems that need to be solved every day. Even if it's just that we got dirty and have to wash. There's no running away from problems since everybody has them. If someone says they don't, they are simply not telling the truth. So the important thing is to try to find solutions that will enrich your life.
Don't discard your ideas
Don't discard the ideas you have, value them instead and take the challenge of developing them. If you are creative you will be persistent and optimistic until you succeed. If you, or others around you, dismiss your ideas too early you will never get anywhere. Many of the ideas that I have had would in the beginning have appeared crazy to others, but nobody called them crazy after I succeeded. What would have happened if I had talked about them to early? Maybe criticism would have killed off my ideas? Be flexible as well. The fact that you are developing one idea doesn't prevent you from working on other ones as well. In fact, I think you should work on several possibilities at the moment because so much is changing in our world. Covering your back is always a good idea. Have noticed that when I don't, things go wrong.
Still stuck in the rut? How about re-framing your situation by looking at it from different angles? It has the power to change your entire perception of the problem and finding new solutions.
And always, always remember that the only thing that's certain in life is that everything is uncertain. That's a fundamental fact of life and you have to get the strength from within to handle it, because whatever happens to you in life, it's up to you how you perceive it. Positive or negative? Your choice. Or as Lincoln once put it “You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves”. Remember that failure happens on the road to success, which may be just a step away.
(Photo: Photo Xpress)
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Tags: feel good, fresh start, loser, perception, positive, re-framing, recession, road to success, solutions, uncertainty, winner
September 21st, 2009 at 14:30
It is always acceptable and recommended that one "Reframe" when things don't necessarily go the way we intended them to. YOu are dead on point; it is senseless to seek blame, anger, resentment or dispair when an issue out of one's control occurs.
Glad to see the saddle still is comfortable, as I know you are in for a long ride.
Best regards,
David Dunworth
January 16th, 2010 at 14:12
Glad we agree. We are all in for a long ride since we will always encounter problems that have to be dealt with.
January 16th, 2010 at 15:15
Great article Catarina- thank you! There is a great quote from Albert the butler in Batman Begins – "we fall down so we can learn to get up". If I've told that to you before – apologies! The film is rubbish but that quote is amazing.
There is also a line from an old Stealers Wheel song – "stay young, keep your wheels in motion". I think you have to adopt that philosophy in all that you do. Stirling
January 16th, 2010 at 15:41
Good quotes Stirling!
January 17th, 2010 at 15:27
Catrina, your words remind me of my own philosophy ststement about life for those who sit comfortably in their homeostasis pod. The only constsnt in life is change and the only guarantee in life is death (change). I am therefore not intimidated by chaos, which is change that is occuring all around us at a rate beyond our comprehension – it is at those times that one need only reach out and grab whatever bull's horns are going by, saddle up and ride the beast out of the eye of the storm.
January 17th, 2010 at 16:17
Well put Paul. My late father always used to say that the only thing that's certain in life is that we are all going to die.
January 18th, 2010 at 10:23
Every problem in life presents new opportunities. If you take a positive approach to the obstacles that arise and learn from them you'll succeed. Those that give up fail – those that pick themselves up after the proverbial fall will ultimately succeed.
January 18th, 2010 at 15:58
Guy I heard about an immigrant in Sweden who wanted to become a taxi driver. He failed the test to get his licence 15 (!) times, somehow managed to get hold of $10,000 to pay for it, refused to take other jobs and hence lost social security. But now his dream has come throught and he's a taxi driver.
February 6th, 2010 at 15:38
Hi Catarina,
Life is full of problems and we must face them no matter what! As I am sure that you will agree, most times we seldom get what we want in life and often times get disappointed and dejected. We must not be despondent thinking that we have failed. It is not for us to decide how things will turn out but all we can do is live each day to the fullest and strive to do our best. Remember that in every crises lies an opportunity and we must seize it make the most of that opportunity. Turn the negative into a positive!
February 6th, 2010 at 15:50
Karim agree with you apart from the fact that I get what I want, it's just a question of how and how long it will take me.
July 21st, 2010 at 16:51
Thank you Catarine… it is refreshing reading about this topic.
It remainded me of one of my favorite quotes:
"Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts"
July 21st, 2010 at 17:03
As a person who's been looking for a job for a long time, and thinking about reinventing herself simultaneously, this article was really helpful. Sometimes I do get so depressed, the job market just seems impossible these days. It never occurred to me when I started looking that I would still be looking a year later, and re-writing my resume, and working on my portfolio etc etc.
July 21st, 2010 at 17:13
Good quote Luis! Glad you like my article.
July 21st, 2010 at 17:14
Glad the article was helpful Heather. Don't forget that currently it's nothing to be ashamed of to be unemployed. Times have not been as bad since the great depression almost a hundred years ago.
July 21st, 2010 at 19:15
Wow, I couldn't agree more! You must out create any problem or barrier that comes up. A few years ago I hit a serious financial crisis. I was in mortgages and heavily invested in real estate. I didn't realize my error (too many eggs in one basket) until it was too late. I lost heavily.
I had a choice. I could have given up in despair or pick myself up and create solutions, fast.
I chose to build up two businesses. I had been doing freelance writing, but I had never really tried to turn it into a business. So I found more clients (and some found me). Today I have a thriving business.
I also learned that one shouldn't count on one business (or area) for all your income. I started a chess instruction business as well, teaching young children how to play. I had been one of the top 50 women chess players in the US, so I figured it was time to give back and teach the next generation. Today we have about 45 students in four schools. I hope to double that soon!
You are right that it is just a matter of attitude. If you want to succeed you must get out there and do it, take the steps necessary to make it.
July 21st, 2010 at 21:43
Thanks for the inspirational post Catrina! It is so important to stay optimistic and persevere. If something isn’t working, it may not be the idea that needs tweaking but the execution. I can totally relate to the risk of being discouraged by people who have negative comments. Don’t they say that one of the keys to success is to surround yourself by positive thinkers and stay away from the nay-sayers?
July 22nd, 2010 at 00:16
I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work. ~Thomas Edison
I agree that if we fall down we need to pick ourself up and try again. Most successful people have failed over and over. The only difference is that they never give up.
Great thought provoking post.
July 22nd, 2010 at 00:37
Like the post Catarina especially the reframing. Also I have found breaking down the problem into what I call tiny pieces then look at each piece, possible actions and take one step at a time.
Susan
July 22nd, 2010 at 10:07
Laura you are a wonderful example of what I wrote about. Well done!
July 22nd, 2010 at 10:09
Agree with you Sherryl! Avoiding them however is difficult since they are everywhere. Easier to just ignore what they say.
July 22nd, 2010 at 10:10
Yes Julia, look at Henry Ford for instance. He went bancrupt but kept on trying. And who doesn't know who he was?
July 22nd, 2010 at 10:11
Yes Susan, that's useful isn't it. Once I was up in the Himalayas talking to an old Hindu wise man. He said to me "whatever happens to you in life Catarina, it's up to you how you perceive it". So true, isn't it.
July 23rd, 2010 at 17:37
Thats what everyone tells me! Thankfully my husband is employed and makes enough money to keep us going. Work used to literally land in my lap, but not anymore. But maybe it's good? A little adversity never did anyone any harm.
July 24th, 2010 at 10:25
What can I say. These are really difficult times. Know people all over the world that are super qualified but cannot find a job. On top of it people have less money to spend so that's having a negative impact as well.
July 25th, 2010 at 23:20
Great post! I think another great way of staying positive is by surrounding yourself by positive people. I know when I am around negative people, it's just such a drain of energy. I really try and surround myself with positive people that are always looking for solutions.
July 26th, 2010 at 10:58
Agree with you Stacey!
January 20th, 2012 at 16:06
Well, I think labeling people 'negative' is sometimes just a way of not dealing with reality.
Most (but not all) so-called 'negative' views are are nothing more than very harsh, but
realistic views based on either a past or a present bad circumstance/situation.
I have found that the self-anointed, self-help guru's tell their disciples to
ignore the realists (aka- negative, energy sapping people) and the reality of
the bad or negative news/situation. Negativity exists. Just as positivity does.
It's like emotion, most of society encourages almost everyone to express their emotions
EXCEPT, anger/disappointment. Society wants you to suppress that emotion.
Which is typical progressive liberal behavior.
What ignoring or shutting out the 'negative' person or situation teaches someone,
is that when confronted with terrible or bad news or circumstances.
One now may be more inclined to run away, rather than face the problem
head on.
January 20th, 2012 at 16:35
Interesting and different points of view, "Pegroup". By the way, I really hope you don't believe I consider myself a self help guru. If you do, please read the articles on my site and you will find that I write about any subject I find interesting that could be of interest to people no matter where in the world they live.
January 20th, 2012 at 17:11
Glad to hear that Geo. Presumably that's your name. Am also tired of self appointed gurus, not least their arrogance. But then again, they have to make people need them.
January 20th, 2012 at 17:56
Yup, Geo or George. Either one.LOL! So true Catarina. If they didn't…they wouldn't make any money!Keep up the good work.
January 20th, 2012 at 18:18
Honestly don't understand why people for for them. It's so obvious what they are doing.
January 20th, 2012 at 18:53
Great piece, Catarina.
Perhaps it is because I am jaded, but I agree with you completely.
Witness the politicians who have reinvented themselves and resurrected their careers. Nixon comes to mind. Okay, poor example. No, wait. Excellent example. If he can do it….
However, I've often said, "I learned more about management from novels than from text books."
Captain Rhett Butler. Now married, with a child, can ride through Atlanta on horseback with the nice ladies beaming their approval. (Oh, fiddle-dee-dee!)
Forget what the opposition has to say. "Never listen to the other guy's lawyer." Slim Fairview.
Edison? Columbus? And need I point to Hollywood? (Edison invented the light bulb by candle light.)
Thank you, Catarina.
Sincerely,
Slim
PS. I used to be respectable. I shall be respectable again.
My recent post China! Economics! Diversification!
January 20th, 2012 at 19:00
Good and amusing points Slim.
January 24th, 2012 at 11:48
To me your best line is: 'And don't forget that we are often faced with great opportunities disguised as insoluble problems'.
Bravo.
Paula
January 24th, 2012 at 12:28
Thank you Paula.