This blog is the third of three in this series on leadership attributes. Please see the first and second blogs if you haven’t already before reading this one.
I once read:
You’re going to go through tough times – that’s life. But I say, ‘Nothing happens to you, it happens for you’. See the positive in negative events –
Joel Osteen.
Always turn a negative situation into a positive situation.
Michael Jordan
Now there is definitely a difference between being positive just to put on a face (while ignoring your problems and weaknesses); and being positive whilst having dealt with your problems and overcoming them. Being ignorant of your problems and weaknesses could cause them to snowball and get worse. I dealt with each of my injuries and situations arising from my cancer before putting it to the back of my mind then continuing on to enjoy my life.
All this is definitely easier said than done!! Although I have been given a bad diagnosis, it has given me the opportunity to spend more treasured time with my family and friends, help other patients through their troubles,
I was able to travel around Europe for 3-4 months and met a lot of great people. But the biggest thing I take away from this negative situation is that by confronting it head on, dealing with the fact that I will probably only have a few years left to live and moving forward with my life, I now approach life with a lot more appreciation, meaningfulness and positivity.
After all – In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count, it’s the life in your years.
Abraham Lincoln.
Confronting fears and then putting them to the side to continue living is a much more positive approach to life. You let your concern out once in a while to confront them and deal with them, ensuring you don’t just be ignorant of them. But never let them take over the joy and love in your life.
Resilience is accepting your new reality, even if it’s less good than the one you had before. You can fight it, you can do nothing but scream about what you’ve lost, or you can accept that and try to put together something that’s good.
― Elizabeth Edwards
To cement this ideology, I always come back to a beautiful phrase I have always lived by: Aproveita a Vida – Enjoy Life!