Shake it Off and Step Up

Are you quick to throw in the towel? If you drop out at the first sign of difficulty when life's challenges arise, chances are you are missing out on opportunities that life is sending your way. The light at the end of the tunnel is there, if you will only persevere.

You can remain fixated on the problem or you can focus on the solution and/or the detour that is necessary to overcome the obstacle. If you choose the former, you will soon come to the realization that life is a constant struggle and you will become bitter, angry, and full of self-pity. On the other hand, if you choose the latter and make lemonade out of lemons, your life will open to new possibilities at every corner.

The following parable about an old mule is a shining example of perseverance.

A farmer owned an old mule that fell into a well. After assessing the situation, the farmer reluctantly concluded that neither the mule nor the well was worth saving. Instead, he called his neighbors together and enlisted them to help bury the old mule in the well and put him out of his misery.

Initially the old mule was frantic, but as the dirt kept hitting his back, something happened. It dawned on the mule that every time a shovel load landed on his back, he should SHAKE IT OFF AND STEP UP! This he did, blow after blow. Shake it off and step up...shake it off and step up. No matter how painful the blows or how distressing the situation, the old mule fought panic and just kept right on SHAKING IT OFF AND STEPPING UP!

Before long, the old mule, battered and exhausted, stepped triumphantly through the mouth of that well. What seemed like it would bury him, actually helped him...all because of how he handled his adversity.

Visualizing this mule stepping up with every pile of dirt thrown on him is powerful. He just did not give up, so was his will to climb out of the well. Substitute yourself for the mule. Substitute your office, your place of employment. How do you view problems that arise? Do you and your team look for solutions? What growth opportunities are possible from these adversities?

Do not let obstacles bury you; rise to the occasion and find a way out. Brainstorm three strategies; try each one, and then more if you need to, until you find the solution. Persevere and reap the rewards.

"Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall."

Confucius

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."

Martin Luther King, Jr.

"Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents, which in prosperous circumstances would have lain dormant."
Horace

"Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit."
Napoleon Hill

"For every failure, there's an alternative course of action. You just have to find it. When you come to a roadblock, take a detour."

Mary Kay Ash

My sense of accomplishment is what keeps me persevering. It's one of my values and guides me through the dark times. When I give up too easily I always get that nagging thought: "What could I have accomplished if I had kept on going?" I don't want to live my life wondering "what if?" It's not always easy I admit, but the rewards of accomplishment for me are worth the anguish.

Well, most of the time. I do give up on occasion when I allow my negative self-talk to take over. That's the voice that tells me to quit because it will never work, or it's a crazy idea, or that I bit off more than I can handle. You've probably heard those same voices yourself at times. Now we can visualize the mule to give us the stamina to see it through.

Have a fantastic week and shake it off and step up.

Stephanie

P.S.Beach life at www.harringtonhouse.com was wonderful. The bed and breakfast was situated on Holmes Beach on Santa Maria Island, near Bradenton Florida. Breakfast by the pool every morning was divine. The gulf, the breeze, clear skies, and an accommodating staff was the perfect recipe for a vacation. I highly recommend this tropical getaway.

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