Handling Adversity the Coach Wooden Way

John Wooden endured far more than losing basketball games or suffering the agony of defeat, yet his attitude paved the way for him to earn the title of the "Winning-est" basketball coach of all time.

Lesson #1: Life isn't fair; I will still make it great.

Lessons on adversity:

While Coach Wooden was growing up, his family endured the loss of two sisters. Wooden's parents placed their faith in God, and they "persevered".

Later, Wooden's father lost the family farm due to an illness that wiped out his hogs, and drought that killed the crops. His dad, Hugh Wooden, never winced. He understood that "blaming, cursing, hating doesn't help you. It hurts you."

John Wooden understood that "whining; complaining, and excuses didn't accomplish anything." No matter what happens on the court or off, "what you do is more important than what you say you'll do."

Make the best of what you have:

When Coach Wooden accepted the Coaching position in 1948 for the UCLA's Bruins the Men's Gym was used by all the schools other teams and was small and inadequate.

Coach Wooden did not "whine or complain" about it. He did the very best he could with the situation he was handed. He held practices at the Men's Gym. For the Bruins games, Coach moved them to larger facilities in Los Angeles - the Pan Pacific Auditorium, the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, and to other facilities.

UCLA's Pauley Pavilion was built 17 years later in 1965.

Lesson #2: Choose your words carefully.

The words you choose to live with are an extension of your integrity.

When John and his older brother Maurice were in the barn messing around, "Maurice grabbed a pitchfork and flipped a pile of manure at John's face. John lunged at Maurice in anger and cursed at him. Their father, had been standing nearby, but instead of reproaching Maurice for instigating the fight, he came down on John for his foul language."

In the Wooden household profanity was forbidden. Hugh never swore and "made sure John understood the severity of his transgression. Hugh whipped" John "with a switch." Coach said, "It was the only time I remember him using it." ("Wooden: A Coaches Life" by Seth Davis)

After that lesson John never used profanity, and he was fond of reminding other coaches that you don't need to use profanity to motivate players.

So what did Coach Wooden say when he was really angry? "Goodness gracious, sakes alive!"

Lesson #3: When something goes wrong the leader, boss, or coach accepts blame. When something goes right give others the credit!

In 1974 during the NCAA semifinals, the UCLA Bruins were favored to win, but lost to North Carolina State. Coach Wooden accepted "full responsibility for that game, saying that his failure to call a timeout and make adjustments was the reason for the loss."

Coach Wooden modeled how great leadership is "the sharing of ideas, information, creativity, responsibilities, and tasks." He listened carefully during his meetings with assistant coaches for new ideas on how do something better during practice. If the idea worked he would implement it and give the assistant coach credit for it. Coach said, "The only thing not to be shared is blame." Leaders that are strong "accept blame, and give credit, when deserved to others." ("Be Quick-But Don't Hurry" by Andrew Hill and John Wooden)

"When a player scored in a game, Coach encouraged him to give a nod to the teammate who had given him the pass or set a pick for him." ("A Game Plan for Life" by John Wooden and Don Yaeger)

Coach Wooden modeled on a daily basis how to handle adversity to his students, coaches, family members and friends for over 70 years. He knew life would always throw obstacles in your path. He never "whined, complained, blamed or used profanity". Coach made the best of what he had, accepted blame when things went wrong and gave the credit to others.

By following Coach Wooden's 3 lessons for handling adversity, you too will respond well to any adversity thrown your way!

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This Is Why Working Harder on Yourself Than Your Job Is The Key to a Great Fortune

A Powerful Inner Resolve

The late American motivational speaker Jim Rohn knew something many people don't: success is an inside job.

A good deal of your future success will arise from your mindset.

It is no surprise that those who are successful encounter frequent setbacks and failures.

To the uninitiated, failure may represent the absence of success. However, the person with a growth mindset knows failure is an opportunity to improve on their last attempt, drawing them closer to success.

If success is a journey then it comprises valleys and peaks, notwithstanding the many setbacks.

Gary Keller and Jay Papasan write in The One Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results: "Extraordinary results aren't built solely on extraordinary results. They're built on failure too. In fact, it would be accurate to say that we fail our way to success."

The key to success lies in your willingness and determination to prevail, even in the face of adversity. It is an inner knowing, despite evidence to the contrary, that you will overcome your obstacles and silence your critics.

The right mindset and a powerful inner resolve are required on the path to success.

Setbacks are not intended to discourage you from attaining victory. They are orchestrated to enrich your personal growth and lead you closer to success if you stay the distance.

Working harder on yourself than your job requires paying attention to your mindset and nurturing your inner most thoughts.

Every failure, every obstacle draws you closer to the person you must become to realise victory.

Success is the sum of your personal growth. The person who attains outstanding success has cultivated their inner world and surmounted the challenges imposed upon them.

"Success builds on success, and as this happens, over and over, you move toward the highest success possible," write Gary Keller and Jay Papasan.

Upgrade Your Mindset

Those who work hard on themselves instead of their job are invested in their personal development. They are committed to reading books, attending seminars and lectures, working with the right coaches and mentors and are lifelong learners.

They are humble in the face of victory and gracious in defeat. They realise life is about constant learning, developing and nurturing their greatest asset - themselves.

They do not have all the answers, but are willing to step out of their comfort zone and try new things, knowing the slightest information will create a snowball effect in terms of success when the time is right.

It was the French poet Victor Hugo who once said: "Nothing is more powerful than an idea whose time has come."

The person who works hard on themselves is a leader who helps others succeed before them. They understand that in giving, they receive greater abundance and prosperity. This is a universal law and principle that whatever you sow, you shall reap.

A job pays you wages and if you are involved in sales, a commission. Nevertheless, it was Jim Rohn who reiterated in his talks: "Profits are better than wages."

He understood that when a person develops their greatest asset and their innate strengths, he or she can create unlimited income. A wage is the fee you receive set by your employer, based on the exchange of services rendered.

Profits are unlimited only by your earning potential.

Jeff Olson explains in The Slight Edge: "Every day, in every moment, you get to exercise choices that will determine whether or not you will become a great person, living a great life. Greatness is not something predetermined, predestined or carved into your fate by forces beyond your control. Greatness is always in the moment of the decision."

As you upgrade your mindset, so too does your bottom line.

Many people are unwilling to develop their greatest assets because they need certainty in their lives by way of a weekly income. It is this want for security that is their downfall because the harder you work on yourself, the greater your fortune because the sky is the limit.

You will only soar as high as you believe yourself capable of.

Therefore, your self-worth will determine your net worth.

As you develop a superior mindset, your net worth skyrockets because you are invested in your greatness, which yields far greater returns on your income.

The greatest fortunes are those developed over time, because success is a journey and requires staying the course.

Success requires a growth mindset that leads to the greatest victory and fortunes.

It is the pay-off of devoting time and energy on yourself, rather than simply working harder in your job.

http://ezinearticles.com/?This-Is-Why-Working-Harder-on-Yourself-Than-Your-Job-Is-The-Key-to-a-Great-Fortune&id=9782655

Make It Here and You Make It Anywhere

To accomplish success when you have been dealt only hardships strengthens the resolve of anyone. The statement iron sharpens iron speaks of building character and conviction. To teach you have to be taught. You have to complete the lesson to learn something from the lesson. The idea is to complete what you start. The measure of your success can be gauged by your accomplishments. Your effort drive consistency and willingness to transform define your accomplishments. Your destination is ruled by your determination and tenacity. Most of the time we get in our own way and it is always by choice. When your perception changes your outlook and how you view your circumstances also change. The ability to view your circumstances from different perspectives speaks of the ability and willingness to transform. No matter what you are going through there is an answer to the problem. Your future is greater than your past. Never feel defeated or discouraged. Adversity is just a bump in the road and bumps can be rolled over. Despite of the odds you will make it through if you allow your faith to do its part. Faith is a very strong ally and should never be taken for granted. Faith will work for you if you allow it to. In order to reach a destination you need a planned route and the ability to adapt to the circumstances and situations that you will encounter on your journey good or bad. Nothing is by chance there is order in everything even in calamity.

A made up mind speaks of the substance that believing in your self offers. Acknowledging who and what you are offers freedom. A made up mind speaks of conviction. Conviction is belief held on to firmly. To believe is an acknowledgement of your faith. To believe gains you unmerited grace. Grace is a gift to us it is not a given. The doors that open for just believing and having faith open wide. Our DNA was developed through awesomeness. It will never be imitated replicated or cloned. The uniqueness of you was meant for you and only you. It separates you from everyone. Take advantage of your uniqueness it is your destiny. Anything that you are going through adds to your testimony. When you maximize your strengths and minimize your weaknesses you have the recipe to success. We are closer than we think we just need to hold on. Transformation is the ability to not only adapt but to also overcome. It is to rise up. It is turning old into new. What was is no longer. What you are is still under development. Your direction should be one way upward. The more you strive for greatness the greater you become.

The storms will come and some days they will make you feel as if they are never going away. The storms are just an opportunity to accentuate your testimony. Anything you are going through can be overcome. There are countless records that attest to that. Those records offer evidence of never giving up or giving in. Those records offer proof of faith that cannot be measured. Those records also indicate the strength of loving your self. If you are good enough to love your self you are good enough to have success. The greatness of you is very close to you. Just reach out and grab it. From dust kingdoms were made. We are more than dust. God made you so who can stop you. God is with you so who can stand in your way. Never allow obstacles and set backs determine what you can accomplish and you will always reach your goals.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Make-It-Here-and-You-Make-It-Anywhere&id=9251380

How Gratitude Can Revolutionise Your Life

Trauma and Distressing Situations Can Offer Opportunities for Change 

A lot of times when a young person is asked what they are going to do when they leave high school, they can have a lot of grand plans. A young person can be optimistic, have hopes and dreams, and for a lot of people, life is fairly straightforward and is deeply satisfying. There are however, the odd few people where life throws out a curveball and a negative or traumatic life changing event can re-order that person's life completely. If that person is helped through the situation, and once a reasonable amount of stability has returned to life, a person who has gone through a great difficulty can turn an adverse situation into a blessing and a great opportunity. Gratitude can be a tremendous tool in a person's life who is recovering from adversity to help quicken the process towards a healthy and optimistic eventuality.

Gratitude Can Turn A Mediocre Life into an Extraordinary Life 

When your circumstances are seemingly ho-hum, and you feel that you are living in the mundane of things, that life has become repetitive, it may be time for a lifestyle evaluation, and part of that process uses gratitude towards helping to redesign or reestablish different perceptions of an otherwise awry type of existence.

Gratitude Works For Everyone 

Whether a person has had a straightforward start, and is now looking for more, or a person has had an extremely difficult setback, gratitude is a powerful weapon for life transformation and revolution. Gratitude works, because it begins to remove a person's perceived limitations.

Fear Brought About Because of Negativity 

If life has been seemingly unproductive, and you believe that you have not "done anything with your life" it only takes a quick look around in your circumstances to begin to evaluate what you truly do have. You are not a sum product of your achievements, you are a valued and wonderful individual who brings much needed joy and friendship to those around you. If you have friends and family who depend on you, and who enjoy your company, to them you are completely irreplaceable. Be grateful first for yourself as a person, and what you contribute to the lives of the people around you by your very presence. Don't be negative about yourself, start listing your positive qualities, and your talents, and invest time in yourself. Start to begin to say what you appreciate about yourself, and then extend this into your environment. Change begins with yourself, before it becomes externalized. Being positive will eventuate with a change in your external environment. When you begin to eliminate negativity, and replace it with affirmations about thankfulness regarding yourself and your wonderful individuality, you begin to lose fear, and develop more confidence and a calm demeanor.

Start Believing In Positive Outcomes 

Negative events don't have to lead to negative eventualities. Many people experience traumatic circumstances, but look to what they still have around them, and start being grateful for those being present through their circumstances, aren't afraid to reach out to others for help, and are appreciative of the little things. When negative events occur, it is important to retain a hopefulness for the future, and use the previous negative events as a template for being able to help others, and to empathize with others who have gone through a similar circumstance.

Gratitude Will Draw Positive Experiences

Sometimes life can begin to feel very mundane, and familiarity with a particular environment can lead to a lack of appreciation. Relationships, especially with significant others can start to wax and wane if they are neglected. If a person takes a fresh perspective on their situation, and becomes genuinely reflective of what gifts they have around them, like clean drinking water, a good steady paycheck, and friends and be grateful for the little simple things, like friends dropping by to say hello, life can start to be seen with new eyes. Little children look to everything with a sense of wonder, and they can teach us to renew our sense of joy and gratitude.

http://ezinearticles.com/?How-Gratitude-Can-Revolutionise-Your-Life&id=8714276

It's Not Always Necessary To Be Strong, But To Feel Strong

In order to feel strong, you need to make a radical change in your lifestyle. The joy of life comes from our new experiences. There is no greater joy than to have broader perspective and wider horizon.

Don't settle down and sit in on one place. Move around, be nomadic, make each day a new horizon. You are still going to live a long time. It would be a shame if you did not take the opportunity to revolutionize your life and move entirely into a new realm of experience. God has placed challenges all around us. It is in everything and anything we experience.

Some people feel like they don't deserve love. The core of mans' spirit comes from new experiences. Don't forget about cultivating those relationships during good times. Don't get me wrong, I am not asking you to give up your dreams or goals but what I am trying to say is that when you find one road blocked you must be strong enough to let go of it and to look for another road. Once those people get rid of this attachment they become strong and find that letting go became an easy task Strength and knowledge: Most people don't understand that one of the most powerful things that can make them strong in the face of adversity and life problems is knowledge.

Don't be discouraged. You just can't beat the person who won't give up. Never give up on what you really want to do. People are always blaming circumstances for what they are. I don't believe in circumstances because these situations leave us feeling weak and hopeless. But that's no reason to stay down for long. In times like these you need to be strong and never give up because life will break you.

I have no regrets in my life. I think that everything happens to you for a reason. The hard times that you go through build character, making you a much stronger person Strong people have a strong sense of self-worth and self-awareness; they don't need the approval of others.The strongest people find the courage and caring to help others, even if they are going through their own storm.If you feel lost, disappointed, hesitant, or weak, return to yourself, to who you are, here and now and when you get there, you will discover yourself, like a lotus flower in full bloom, even in a muddy pond, beautiful and strong.

Fear, weakness, frustration, failure, depression, refraction and bad luck moments, I've been through alone and affected me significantly but was never able to beat me for so long. This is the reason why I'm proud. I'm here now stronger than yesterday. I'm still able to stand and continue on my way. I am still following up my dreams, still trying my best to build a better future for me and my kids and I will never ever give up! It's enough that I have the courage to survive any trials I encountered in life even if I am not that really tough.

Despite our problems, we need to feel tough to survive them. We have to embrace them as part of life's weaving. By then, we are able to move on.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Its-Not-Always-Necessary-To-Be-Strong,-But-To-Feel-Strong&id=9658116

Endurance Is Not Just The Ability To Bear A Hard Thing, But To Turn It Into Glory

Does anybody really think that they didn't get what they had because they didn't have the talent, the strength, the endurance or the commitment? In fact, endurance is patience concentrated. It is the only reason we even exist.

If you can learn to endure pain, you can survive anything. Some people learn to embrace it- to love it. No matter how much falls on us, we keep plowing ahead. That's the only way to keep the roads clear.

Human beings are the only creatures who are allowed to fail. That's how I learn, by falling flat on my face and picking myself up and starting all over again. It is easily mistaken as love for adversity. But no. It is about knowing strength and faith so great that adversity, in all its adverse manifestations, hardly even exists.

Humans shall not be defined by what they have suffered but how they have endured them. Whatever happens, God gives grace to endure and overcome the situation. With perseverance and endurance you can survive any storm. If you can endure, if you can persevere, if you can work and not grow weary, if you're both obsessed and talented, well, you might have a shot.

Life is a race and it will be painful at times. Facing the trials of any situation by persisting to move forward requires endurance. It's the glory of reaching the goal and capturing the prize. Whatever it is we desire or yearn for, say "yes" to it. Soon, you will be living your new direction.

When we love ourselves, we will work hard for ourselves. Without love there is no drive. Love is the fuel for endurance. There is nothing more motivating than wanting to feel better. Love is what gets us through the "isn't this horrible" times and the antidote to despair is action.

To have endurance we need to be in consistent action, especially in the face of adversity. We need to put faith behind our action showing we believe things will be better than before if we keep working hard and moving. It's not as easy to just "be tougher," though.

Keeping strong in the face of adversity is the ability to keep your focus and determination despite the difficulties you encounter. Events in our life rarely go the way we'd like them to, but that doesn't mean you have to let it throw you off your goal. Mental toughness gives you the tenacity to learn from your mistakes without the devastating blow failure can sometimes deal. This resilience and fortitude also gives you the strength to keep emotions in check when something in your life seems overwhelming and you need to be strong.

Essentially, mental toughness and emotional endurance are the voices in the back of your head that tells you to keep going, keep pushing, and keep trying, even when the going gets tough.

Sometimes we feel that it's the end of the world when we encounter a series of problems in life but no, it's not. It's just the beginning of our journey towards our goal. With persistence and endurance, nothing can stop us from reaching our dreams.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Endurance-Is-Not-Just-The-Ability-To-Bear-A-Hard-Thing,-But-To-Turn-It-Into-Glory&id=9665988

10 Amazing Benefits Of Being Optimistic

When it comes to the angle on how you perceive the world, studies have shown that being more optimistic can dramatically improve the quality of your life.

Optimism is simply looking at adversity in a positive light.

Taking the time to see things from a different perspective and shining a light on the positive can be extremely beneficial in all areas of your life.

Here are just a few ways on how being optimistic can help you in your daily routine:

1. Optimism promotes happiness.
2. It will help you keep your emotions in check.
3. Research into optimism shows it can actually increase your lifespan.
4. Being optimistic can reduce the level of stress you experience during unexpected events.
5. Optimism provides you with a stronger and more solid reason to live life.
6. Optimistic people are more proactive, rather than being reactive.
7. It provides you with an empowering way to handle failure in a constructive manner.
8. It is an essential trait that is common amongst successful people
9. It increases your productivity and creativity.
10. Optimism provides you with a way to deal with life in a balanced manner because it provides you the reframing tools to deal with negative thoughts that inevitably pop up during the day.

These are just ten of the amazing benefits of being more optimistic.

There are many more attributes to taking a more positive approach to the things that life throws your way. People who tend to see the good in things rather than the bad are typically healthier as it improves both your psychological and physiological well-being.

When you are faced with adversity, the way that you approach the situation is extremely important.

Those who take a negative approach tend to live in a world that is "out to get them." These people often fail to see the bigger picture, which can have a negative impact on their life.

Those who face adversity with a positive attitude tend to have a happier life simply because they choose to see the light at the end of the tunnel. When life throws something at them, they look for the positives that can come out of it and move on towards a future that looks much brighter.

You will continually be challenged by difficult life circumstances, that is just a fact of life.

However, the next time you have negative thoughts, take a moment to think about how this negative experience could actually be a good thing. What's good can you gain here? What precious lessons can you learn from it?

Ask yourself power questions so that you take action and keep moving forward. This will benefit your entire well-being and help you experience a more fulfilling life.

http://ezinearticles.com/?10-Amazing-Benefits-Of-Being-Optimistic&id=9540739

How To Endure Hardship To Better Succeed (By Sergei VanBellinghen)

At times, it is quite challenging to endure hardship and get back up when life kicks you to the ground. No matter if you want to succeed or just live only, it seems to be an endless cycle of frustrations and victories. However, it should come to no surprise that life is always full of ups and downs.

What do you do when times get tough? Do you retreat into despair and blame other people? Or do you confront your problems courageously and overcome them? How can you withstand hardship?

I understand; it is not comfortable being in situations you have no control over or getting in circumstances that seem to be entirely unfair to you. But issues and problems will undoubtedly find their way into your life because it is normal. Regardless of any hardship, you may face now or later, what is essential is to get back up and move forward.

You have to realize that often, painful experiences in life may come with an eventual advantage. It can offer you the capacity to better appreciate the small pleasures in life and to have a better chance to succeed.

Should I remind you of an example of hardship, such as Abraham Lincoln who failed in business, had a nervous breakdown, and was defeated eight times in elections before becoming president?

Understanding Hardship

Most of us are usually afraid that adversity will get the better of us. But if you think about it, how many times have you gotten past what you thought would be the worst hardship in your life? The answer is obvious! It means that you are alive, you survived, so it only proves that you are stronger.

So, you have to allow each hardship you had to become an opportunity for you to see beyond the load of resentment that you carry with you. You should understand that adversities are a regular and essential part of becoming more mature.

Besides, experiencing any suffering, pain or hardship is a phase of life we cannot escape from and that all of us go through. I agree that when you get older, it is much harder to change your character but not impossible. It just takes longer and more effort to find yourself again and realign your life.

Hardships Create Change

In my own life, I dealt so many times with hardship and failure, and yet I am still here. I had an average family. I had to handle physical abuse, see domestic violence, and even watch friends die. My two marriages were a failure. I worked at so many jobs in so many places, but I often abandoned when I felt like I had failed.

Today, I am a personal growth and success expert who is writing two books. Yet, I still often meet hardship through my desire to succeed even more. You cannot change life happening to you, but you can modify your outcomes to get out successful. It might be hard to do, but it is only a matter of knowing how.

So, you have to be willing to grow, evolve, and change always. By learning from hardship, you help yourself to understand how to endure adversity and overcome the very worst life throws at you.

But how can you be able to endure and overcome all of these hard times?

How to Endure Hardship

Despite all your trials, life continues and can be turned around in your favor. Of course, there are no instant cures for any of the hardships that may arise in your life. But there are, however, some methods to deal with what you encounter.

The ability to endure hardship is what separates successful people from unsuccessful ones.

Accept Hardship as Reality

It is imperative to accept whatever is happening to you because accepting circumstances bring faster understanding, progress and changes. This view and attitude provide quicker solutions which in turn produce results, and you can get back up again, only stronger.

Come to Terms with Adversity

You need to come to terms with what is happening. Look at every hardship as a new experience to improve your life. Life goes on, so make the right decision by moving forward. Stop dwelling on "what could have been" or "what if" situations. You cannot go back. So, accept your new scar, and move on.

Perception is Important

Perception is a crucial element to any hardship. What I mean is that, if you think negative thoughts or have negative emotions while in a situation; well it is going to bring out negative outcomes. So your view and perception are always critical. When hardship hits, you need to have the strength to change your painful feelings by looking at it in a new perspective. It allows you to withstand adversity and to surmount it.

Tips to Endure Hardship

• When hardship hits you, it is not easy to know which emotions it will bring to the surface. So, when such hard times come your way, it requires time and patience on your part. To succeed in surviving adversity is to keep silent, tap into your strengths.
• Rediscover inspiration as it brings hope and desire, which also produce positivity. It helps you to move forward, and away from the pits of despair that trouble you when enduring hardship.
• Take time for yourself. Sit down with no distractions, phone, social media, e-mail, or television. And then listen. Take a look at yourself and catch what your higher-self has to say. Just listen to it.
• Reflect on your current circumstances. Imagine and expect to overcome this challenging situation in your life. See yourself get over the hardship. Learn to master any tough situation and let go your thoughts and emotions.
• Wait for a better outlook and desire within you. Then come up with an escape plan from your current circumstance. Have a vision of where you want to be, then start filling in the details and which way to start moving forward.
• After all of the above, one of the most evident pieces of the puzzle is to take action. I know it is easier said than done but you have no choice if you want to surmount hardship. Many things may hold you back, but you have to act despite feelings.

Overcoming Hardship

When it comes to taking action, learn from mistakes or making an actual change, as very few of us follow through. You have to do your best to overcome hardship really, and not just endure it. You need to begin modifying your status quo.

Hardships are part of everyone's lives, but you have to realize and pursue an existence that can bring progress and positive changes to your world. It is better to surround yourself with people who care, want the best for you, and do believe in you.

Throughout life, you face different intensities of hardship, but learn to stay positive so that you can continue to grow and succeed. Finally, you need to see that going through hard times is a standard order of things. Any hardship takes an unbelievable amount of perseverance to get ahead.

http://ezinearticles.com/?How-To-Endure-Hardship-To-Better-Succeed&id=9824739

Do You Learn More From Your Success Or Your Adversity, Problems And Hardships?

                 

Think this is a redundant, stupid or foolish question? Then why not go back to your daily "to do" list. If not - read on you might see a few things differently as a result.

First of all, let me state the obvious - everyone in life faces adversity, trials, hardships etc. of some kind in life sooner or later. No one is privileged to escape pain while they live their life journey - whether financial, relationship, career, business or health.

Before I move on let me state one more common obvious fact - no one handles, reacts, manages or deals with life's issues the same as everyone else. Some use them to whine and complain - others use them to grow, improve or mature. While others sit there in a coma wondering - what should I (can I) do?

Before we move on however, I'm sure you know which camp you are in the whining one hopefully this article will be of value to you. If you are in the growing camp I'm sure you know someone who is in the whining group, so why not read it and then forward it to them - you never know - it might just be what they need today.

OK, back to my message.

Success can teach us many things - what works, what feels good, what is of value in our life or the life of others, that we are on the right path and doing the right things etc. But, here's the problem with successes lessons - they tend to prevent us from looking at what isn't working or wrong or how what we are doing could be working even better. Consistent success tends to keep people stuck - yes, they have had many success benefits but imagine for a moment if they could achieve even better success if they would learn to see past their success to what could be?

Everyone has achieved some degree of success in some areas of their life whether raising great kids or creating a wonderful backyard garden or building a successful business from scratch. These are all worthy accomplishments but again I ask you - if you could have accomplished even more (a better garden, better kids, better business etc.) would you have settled for what you achieved knowing you could have done more that was within your skills or power?

Success is not just about achievement or winning but serving, giving back, learning and the journey. Today's successes can be tomorrow's failures. No success is guaranteed to last for a lifetime or even years. Success like life is a process but if success keeps you from learning then you are missing what real success is - going past your own definition of your potential and seeing life from a broader perspective.

I'm not saying we can ever see our life or our future from God's perspective but there's no reason why we shouldn't try and see it from a wiser or better human perspective one and not limited by conventional wisdom, previous successes, other's judgements or our own limited belief system.

In the final analysis what can success teach us?

A few of the obvious ones are - gratitude, caution, patience, faith and the value of persistence. Yes, there are many others but in the end without these we will tend not to learn what life offers.

What can adversity, problems, hardship or failure teach us? I could go on for pages with this section but, I'm sure you have better things to do than read my diatribes so let me keep it brief.

First of all, a few important concepts to consider:

-Anyone who has ever achieved and worthwhile success has faced trials, failure, adversity etc. 

-Failure is necessary for great and sustained success. 

-Failure, adversity etc. is not what is happening to us but how we respond, react, deal with it, learn from it or use it for something good. 

-Adversity and problems etc. are in our life to teach us - not about them or it but us.

So, what can we learn from these negative situations?

Think of adversity, problems challenges etc. as a classroom environment and they are the teacher. If you want to pass the course you'll need to pay attention, do your homework and figure out where the important learning is in all of the chaos and uncertainty. Learning Geometry is not easy if you are not good with numbers.

Learning to manage problems is not easy if you have never had any or have never managed them successfully in the past.

Failure, adversity, hardship etc. use pain, disappointment, rejection, ambiguity, distress, abandonment, uncertainty, discomfort, isolation and many other circumstances to get our attention and the courage to take action.

I'm not in any way suggesting that we should seek out failure, adversity etc. but I'm also not suggesting that we hide our heads in the sand or go into denial simply because we don't like what we are experiencing.

Trust me - if you don't learn a lesson life wants you to learn sooner or later you'll get another chance to learn the same lesson.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Do-You-Learn-More-From-Your-Success-Or-Your-Adversity,-Problems-And-Hardships?&id=9740700

Every Flower Must Grow Through Dirt

Why every flower must grow through dirt is a gentle reminder that nothing worth having comes easy. We may look at beautiful things and successful people with envy. But if we take a deeper look, it is clear that we often forget that anything worthwhile had to struggle before rising to beauty and success.

In life, how many times did you go through an unpleasant situation? Did you ever think or ask yourself if it would ever end? Why is adversity occurring in life? What is the meaning of it all?

The message conveys that seeing a beautiful thing, successful person, or even exceptional circumstance is only the tip of the iceberg. But instead, as you look underneath the surface, you can see it was not always a bed of roses to achieve the status they now have.

And that, just like a flower growing through dirt, such things and people have chosen to fight, rise through and flourish despite the adversities. It is such a perfect reminder that remarkable things result from difficult times, struggles and hard work.

Each Flower Must Struggle 

What a great feeling to know that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Just like every flower must grow through dirt, you have to experience hardships, develop and blossom before reaching glory. It also shows that no one is entirely immune of living free from suffering and grief. In all of human history, every single period had its full share of chaos, despair, and misery.

While your life may take a painful turn, you might be tempted to ask why it happens to you. Even if it is a typical reaction, you should instead focus on the solution. Sometimes, it also seems to be no light through the darkness of the woods.

As a result, you feel alone, abandoned, heartbroken, yet a flower must grow through dirt and endure the middle of nowhere. You then view your troubles as misfortunes and bad luck. Pessimism begins to occupy your mind. You become impatient in trying to get an answer for your predicament. And you forget that often, patience is also required.

A Flower Must Grow Strong 

In nature, flowers that grow up in windy surroundings become stronger. As storms beat around a young flower bud, forces inside the flower head and the stem create changes. These forces stimulate the roots to grow faster and spread farther. Then, it starts to build cell structures that make the flower more flexible to the burden of the wind.

Therefore, it shows you that you learn, grow and become stronger as you face and overcome the trials which you have to go through and pass. You also know that there are times when adversity tests your limits, and you have no other choice.

On the other hand, these adversities allow you to be a better version of you. Thus, a flower must grow through dirt to blossom into something beautiful and glorious. With no adversity in life, there would be no struggles, and with no difficulties, no glory or success.

The Flower and its Adversities 

But why is adversity occurring in life? Well, at times, some of your choices produce circumstances that generate hard times. At other times, your decisions or other people create trials for you, which can be painful. And occasionally, out of control situations cause pain and struggles in your life.

The Flower and Its Choices 

There are life choices you make which cause you pain and sorrow when the costs of those decisions are wrong. Unlike a flower, as you grow through the adversities you created, it teaches and prevents you from making similar choices in the future.

So, the dirt you are going through is pushing and giving you the real desire to climb the hill and change yourself in one way or another. In the process, it may cost you time, tears, and changes in your habits and lifestyles. But in the end, it will all be worth it, just like the flower that blossoms and reaches her beauty.

The Choices Made by Other People 

Adversities in your life can also be the cause made by the choices of other people. It can be challenging to accept and tolerate since you are not in control of the reason. Sometimes, people around you make poor choices, and you also pay the consequences.

Therefore, you feel frustrated by the circumstances you find yourself in. But since you cannot change the choices that other people make, you can only take some quiet time to think of a solution, and listen to what you feel you should do. Just like the sun strengthen the flower by helping her grow through the dirt and lift her burdens.

Out of Control Adversities and the Flower 

Why do bad things happen to any of us? Well, there are laws of physics and natural laws that the flower abides by, and so we do. There are no choices. It is all based on actions and reactions to uncontrollable situations.

As a result, the planet we live on follows these laws and it is often impossible to interfere. And though, just like every flower must grow through dirt, it does not seem logical at times, the natural order of things and its ensuing adversities are something you cannot escape.

All you can do is to work on yourself, develop, trust in the process, have patience, mature, nurture, and become an excellent example for those around you. Be like the flower that must grow through dirt so that you can reap its beauty, success, and glory.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Every-Flower-Must-Grow-Through-Dirt&id=9845554

How Do You Feel About Yourself?

This might, at first seem like a silly question - and probably one you have never asked yourself. I know I never have and I have written entire manuals that are nothing but page after page of questions - go figure.

How about another quickie - why is this question important?

Without appearing to be looking for either praise or pity let me share what this question did for me the first time someone asked it of me. By the way, this person died over 100 years ago but is one of my mentors. When I was recently re-reading one of his books after a few years this question just hit me between the eyes like a baseball bat. Trust me - I never saw it coming, but when I put the book down and thought about it seriously - both tears and laughter filled my head for a long time.

You might be asking at this point - why - this question isn't that big of a deal. OK, well let me ask you a few more and then you can decide whether you want to finish this article or not.

Have any regrets in life?

Ever disappointed anyone? Yourself?

Ever felt abandoned or betrayed by someone?

Ever felt stuck? Lost? Confused?

Ever asked yourself - what is this or why did this happen to me?

Ever felt like you got something negative you didn't deserve?

I could go on but if all of your answers to the above were no - well - have a nice day. 

Yeah right!

First - notice that I didn't use the words - describe yourself, defend yourself, define yourself, explain yourself or promote yourself. How do you feel about yourself - in other words - how and why do you - like, approve, love, accept, validate and justify yourself? Answer these questions in writing - one at a time - take a few minutes and when you have finished the exercise come back and finish the article.

Did you do the exercise? Let me guess - you just kept reading! Oh well - here's the rest of the article, hopefully it will have value for you even though you didn't do your homework.

There are many contributors to how and why we feel about ourselves from time to time and just a few are - self-esteem, fears caused by either real or imaginary emotional or physical threats, the need for others' approval, the desire to be in control of all areas of our life, the desire to avoid adversity, challenges or even failure and the need for validation and appreciation.

If we handle these or get the ones we need or value as needed on schedule and from the sources, we feel necessary guess what - we will generally feel great about ourselves and our life. However, if we fail to get any or the ones we feel vital we will tend to let the absence of these have a negative influence on our self-perception and thus our feelings about how our life is, is going or how it might be in the future.

Keep in mind all of these self-emotions, reactions and responses are caused by expectations and often if not, always these expectations are not grounded in reality but controlled by ego needs, or insecurities caused by any number of situations, people or circumstances in our past. The real issue is - how do these feelings contribute to the quality of our life? It's really simple but not easy - negative stuff tends to make us feel negative and therefore think negative stuff and these tend to create negative circumstances that drive negative emotions and feelings. The opposite is true - positive stuff tends to make us feel positive and positive feelings generally create positive outcomes. Neither of these are absolutes - as I said - they tend to.

So, the real question is - how can we learn to always feel good about ourselves no matter what is going on in our life, who is in it and/or what is missing etc.?

One of the topics I discuss in some of my seminars is - are you an inside-out person or an outside-in person. Let me explain.

Outside-in people turn over the quality or the responsibility of their lives and how they react, accept, deal with etc. to outside circumstances or people i.e. the weather, traffic, long lines, unpleasant people, poor service, flat tires - you name it - if it happens to them they go into blame mode, whine mode, complain mode, anger mode- whatever.

Inside-out people just accept what is happening whether they like it or not, feel they deserve it not and deal with it. They don't scream, yell, panic, blame - whatever - they just wait, fix the tire etc. and move on.

So, before we wrap this up let me share a few ideas on how to better manage life's circumstances that contribute to how we feel about ourselves. I call these my Life "Mantras." In no special order here are just a few of them; If you want the whole list let me know - it's on me.

-If it happens I'll get excited if it doesn't I won't be disappointed.

-I was not put on the earth for your approval.

-I can't control much but IK can control me.

-If I'm thinking it it's impacting me.

-Every day I can learn something important if I'm open and willing.

-We are here for a little while and then we are gone forever.

-I am on God's schedule not mine.

-Every day is a gift.

-It is what it is.

-My life does not revolve around yours.

-Failure, adversity and trials are necessary to grow and get better and wiser.

-Gratitude and appreciation of others are more important than selfies.

-We're born then we die - everything in between is trivia.

-If you don't ask you will never know.

-It's not over till it's over.

-My age is none of my business.

-What can you lose that you don't really need.

-Our dreams should be better than our memories.

-If you always tell the truth you don't have to remember what you said.

Got any of your own that you use to help you deal with issues, people, challenges in a positive way so that they don't have a negative impact on your day, life, career, relationships etc.?

http://ezinearticles.com/?How-Do-You-Feel-About-Yourself?&id=9827241

Live Like A Hero

Ever notice the first words invariably spoken when we recognize a hero publicly? "I never felt like a hero, I'm no hero," these words are the mantra of heroes. Regardless of the nature of their actions being hailed as heroic, they saw nothing unusual in their response. What is the difference in these people and those who stare in admiration at their acts? They have always lived like a hero; one day they were called on to act like a hero.

Heroes spend a lifetime following a creed of honor and respect for others. What traits are normally found in them?

1) They act responsibly in every situation.

2) They live compassionately, tending to look beyond weakness in others as they seek to find and focus on their strengths.

3) Reliability is their creed. They take pride in establishing relationships where they expect others to know they will be there for them. And they are.

4) They stand strong in the face of adversity.

5) They take the time to know themselves, to recognize and improve on their weaknesses while maintaining their strengths.

6) They avoid idle chatter, preferring to shoot straight and seek solutions rather than criticizing others efforts that may be failing.

7) They have an innate ability to understand that life is a series of head-on collisions; they wear a mental helmet of faith, hope and integrity. They live expecting the best possible outcome.

8) They rarely have a plan B. They understand that you get what you prepare for; they always prepare for what they may be called to act upon.

9) Injustice in any form ignites a passionate response in them; for them it is intolerable.

10) They are intuitive, seeming to know when and how to act and react to situations.

These are good old-fashioned traits that many parents continue to build and embrace in raising their family to be productive members of society. Look closely behind the hero and you will likely find parents or some adult or affiliation that embraced character building.

Heroes are not born; they are raised to embrace standards that encompass empathy, compassion, respect for self and others, to act responsibly and to embrace faith in their life. If you weren't raised that way you can still embrace the traits that create the best possible response to every situation. Even if you are never recognized publicly, you can be sure you will face the time when you are called on to be a hero allowing you to touch another person in a life altering situation. You may never know that you were their hero, but they will. It begins with choosing to live like a hero; if you do, you will always be prepared to act like one.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Live-Like-A-Hero&id=9585117

The Amazing Short Story Of Jyothi Reddy - CEO Of A Software Company

Who does not like to read inspirational stories?

I believe that these types of stories help people like you and I see what some powerful people had to go through in order to be at the positions they are at now. There is a misconception that the people at the top, have always been at the top. This is not the case for this woman.

Today, I bring you the inspirational story of Mrs. Jyothi Reddy, the CEO of a software company in the United States of America. She had to go through a lot to experience the luxury she has today.

Jyothi was born in a very poor family in India in the year 1970. She was the youngest amongst five daughters that her parents had. Her parent's financial situation was so bad that Jyothi's family decided to put her in a welfare orphanage. However, due to the strict rules of the orphanage, she had to be declared a 'motherless child' and that is how she got into the orphanage. She had a tough time at the orphanage and had to undergo the trauma of never being able to even see her mother during her stay at the orphanage. She lived all by herself but did not allow her spirits to go down.

She attended a government school while she was at the orphanage. While she was at the government school, she took computer courses to get the eligibility to work in the United States. When she arrived in the United States, she had two jobs. Those two jobs were pumping customer's gas at the station and she also worked as a babysitter.

She saved 40,000 dollars in cash over the course of 15 years working those two jobs. With that money, she bought her own office in Arizona. Her company in Arizona deals with Visa processing. She has turned that Visa processing company to one of the biggest software companies in the United States.

Jyothi decided to deal with life in her own practical way. She learned the value of life through all the hardship and adversity that she had to face. From being a field laborer, she rose to own a software company in the U.S. and now proudly operates as its CEO. She is a living example for women in rural India and elsewhere in the world to follow their dreams to success no matter what circumstance that they are in.

If you put your mind to it, you can experience success to. All you have to do is find something that you are passionate about. Starting a business is never easy and it can be emotionally and financially draining. But if you are strong like this woman, you will make it.

http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Amazing-Short-Story-Of-Jyothi-Reddy---CEO-Of-A-Software-Company&id=9767142

How to Bring More Happiness Into Your Life Right Now

                    

Have you examined your life lately? Are you truly happy? Do you feel successful? Do you feel free? How well are you treating yourself and others? How well are you facing challenges in your life? How are you coping with worry and stress?

To answer these questions, it's important that we examine our lives, and, like the curious looking stone placed in the palm of our hands, turn it over and look underneath it. When we commit to examining and evaluating our lives in this way, our true inner self is given a voice and we have the great opportunity to listen. But, how do we do it?

Don't worry about things you can't control

We create the most hardship and adversity in our lives when we engage in the false belief that we can control things which in reality, are out of our control. Ask Rihanna, can you fist fight with fire? Can you stop a tornado? No! In other words, while we can't control every single thing that happens in our lives, we can control our perception and our response to it.

Know thyself

Have you ever thought you lost your car keys and search everywhere only to find out that you had them all along! This is the same thing that happens when we search for ourselves. We can search externally and over great distances and never feel the fullness and satisfaction of truly knowing ourselves because we fail to realize that "we" are right where "we" are! As corny as it may sound, I teach my clients that everything they need is within them. In other words, you are already equipped with everything you need and it can all be found within. As a Life Coach, I engage my clients in a process of acknowledgement of self. And once the true self is given an opportunity to speak its wisdom, you can finally hear it.

Value Relationships

Unlike everything else, you can't buy good relationships at Wal-Mart. No amount of money or power can make up for an isolated life without good relationships. It is the essence of a life worth living and a major component of true happiness.

Don't be a blame-shifter

Be accountable. Be responsible and accept the consequences of your own actions - good or bad. Many of us are not willing to hold ourselves accountable for the bad decisions and situations we find ourselves in, instead seeking to blame others. But, sadly, the finger-pointing, justifying and denial is toxic to our inner self and poisonous to our happiness.

Do not look for wrong or evil...

My grandmother used to tell me and my sisters... "do not look for wrong or evil, you will find it if you do, and if you measure it for your neighbor, he will measure it back to you."

We live in a society where "payback" and "getting even" and "an eye for an eye" are acceptable responses to wrongdoing. Not realizing that these types of responses not only harm the victim but the perpetrator as well, emotionally, psychologically as well as spiritually.

Be Kind

It's the universal Law of Attraction - like attracts like. You get in what you put out. Being kind to others makes us feel good and is another major part of living a fulfilled and authentic life. Actively seek out ways to be kind to others and trust that the universe will align to return the favor.

http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Bring-More-Happiness-Into-Your-Life-Right-Now&id=9562934

We Are All Walking Resumes (By Wilson Horrell)

What kind of person are you? How do you perceive others to view you? How would you like others to view you? That's a difficult question to answer. So difficult in fact, that I don't think that most of us really get past asking ourselves the question. We go to that place in our brain and begin to ponder, but we never really go into the answer. I don't know when or how often any of us will really need to have this information, but I know it would be comforting to have it when things aren't going our way.

Last week, a friend of mine informed me that she might be losing her primary job. She sounded concerned. OF COURSE, she sounded concerned, she is losing her job! I, on the other hand, am not concerned in the least. Not only do I lack concern, but I am excited for her and her family. You see, I know what this person is. Of the three questions I posed at the beginning of this post, I know the answer to the first two. There is no one better in the world at living out life's resume. She is one of those people that when someone asks how they are doing, you know that they are just making conversation. You expect them to be doing good, cause they are good, and they deserve good.The future for her is going to be nothing but a huge payout of everything that she has done in the past, and is doing in the present. It might take a moment for the universe to serve her the fancy dinner, but make no mistake about it... she will be eating a big, fat, beefy dish of "I told you so" from my kitchen, when it plays itself out.

This friend of mine has positioned herself as intelligent, hard working, diligent, reliable, competent, loyal, tough, brave, and able to work through adversity. There is not an employer in this country that would not hire someone with these qualification. The problem is that everyone claims to have these qualities, when they need a job, but many people don't demonstrate these things consistently enough to make it part of their identity. I think it is important to remember that we are all walking resumes. People are continuously sizing us up in an effort to somehow further themselves, or make their life a little better. I don't mean that in a "sociopathic" way, I mean in it in the reality of "being human" kind of way. Some people are so aware of this that they don't allow themselves to reach their true potential, because they are constantly living inside of strict parameters that they have let the masses govern their every behavior. I want to be accepted, and live life as a good person, but I can't base my personalty and restrict my desire to live loudly based on the majority. I believe that people who live their life fully are never out of options, and always presented opportunities.

I have formed step-by-step instructions on how I need to go about becoming the person that I want to be. It is easily the most difficult set of directions that I have ever tried to follow. Stepping outside of these directions will only be setting myself up for failure. I have to concentrate on this most complex guide to becoming who I want to be, with every shred of my being. I view it as cooking in a crock-pot. These instructions have to be initiated, and then I have to re-visit time after time and make sure everything is progressing as it should. I need to stay plugged in, and supply myself with continuous, positive energy. I shouldn't expect results immediately, as these things take time. However, it's important that I don't forget what's cooking, or else my recipe will dry out and fall to pieces.

OK, are you ready? This is some seriously intense Yoda-type business. It's mind-numbingly complex and will require re-read after re-read. Print it out if you have to, because you won't be able to swallow it all at once. Here it is:

1. Decide who and what you want to be.

2. Be that person.

I know this because I continuously see this in the people in my life. I watched my best friend become a partner at his architecture firm, because he decided to. I watched a buddy take ownership and manage a profitable promotional products business, because he wanted to. I work with drunks and junkies who wake up and decide to be completely different human beings, because they are ready to. I watch my wife position herself as the best that there is in her field by constantly making herself available, and gladly willing to put in the extra time to educate not only herself, but others. These people are the best at what they do, simply because they decided to be the best at what they do. Now, I could argue about what is different about these people, or what these people have that I don't, or I can learn from these people, and move forward in my career path of becoming a better person. It's of great comfort to me to know that I can become a better person and start living a better life, at any time that I choose. The problem is that it is up to me to become that better person and live that better life. I wish that there was a pill I could take, or a package that Amazon could deliver to make these changes for me, but there is not. It is all within, free of charge, and in abundant supply. Become better. Become better, now. Ready. Set. Go! Have a great week.

http://ezinearticles.com/?We-Are-All-Walking-Resumes&id=9585156

You Are Not Failing Enough (By Efrain A Herrera)

We have all been hit by one of life's sledge hammers at some point of our lives and all that happens is we recover, pick ourselves up and carry on living. This is the inevitable dynamic of life. No matter what, the world carries on living, it never stops. However, I propose to you the following mindset you are not failing enough, allow me to rephrase the sentence... You are not... Experiencing enough.

First, we must get something clear between you and me, failure is a pre-requisite for success. If I was you I would read that again! You did? Good. So, to become successful in any areas of our lives, let it be sport, music, your business, relationships and even spirituality, we must fail a lot of times before achieving the wanted results. This does not mean you will fail on purpose, you won't learn anything new that way, this means that you will prepare to the best of your ability, you will behave, think and act like success is bound to happen but you simply understand the requisites of success.

For example, I am a high performance tennis player and playing national tournaments is a necessary component for my development as a player on the tennis court, because the only way of knowing truly how good a player really is, it's when the individual is confronted with difficult challenges; here is the catch, some will rise up to the challenge and win, some will rise up but lose and others will run away from adversity, Let me ask you which player do you think will learn and develop from his/hers experience the most? (keep hold of your answer we will go back to this at the end). You must condition yourself to always rise until it becomes habitual, this is what no one ever told you, the problem with not facing adversity and fears is not that they will come and hunt you, or you will live as a coward for the rest of your live (this is true however!). Is that you are conditioning yourself to always run from challenges, this means that you will behave in this manner automatically, your subconscious will always trigger the response that has been triggered before, if this sounds a bit like you, is no big deal, because changing it its easy, all you have got to do is condition yourself to always face your challenges and eventually with some practice and time this will become normal, no more butterflies in your stomach, no more fear, just rising up to the occasion and succeeding.

My father once said to me on the tennis court, that those players that seem unbeatable, the best players in the world, all have one thing in common to the worst and most beatable players in the world. They have all failed, they have all hit the net, the have all double faulted, they have all missed easy shots and they have all been losers. Then my dad said to me but the ones at the top Efrain have failed more times than the ones at the bottom have even tried. So, I dare you to try more, mastery only comes through hard work, believe, persistence and resistance to failure. This is the reason most people fail at their dreams and aspirations, they aren't doing anything wrong and that's their problem, the simply don't fail enough.

Going back to the question the player that will develop and learn the most from his experience is not the one that wins when he rose to the challenge, but that one that rose and lost. This individual shouldn't be angry nor sad for the loss but motivated to work harder and then try and again for the sole reason that he/she confronted the adversity head on! This is an achievement on its own, to become more successful than you are now, you must become better than who you are now, condition yourself for the best and reward yourself when small victories occur.

Lastly I must stress the importance of your environment and guidance in your personal journey to success, if you are struggling,under-performing in sport, under achieving in your business, feel free to get in contact with me, I would love to hear your journey and see if we can perhaps work on a solution together.

If you are an entrepreneur, athlete or like to do things on your own, surrounding yourself with high quality people is key. Check Out my website http://www.Rockstarfreedom.com and join the community of the elite.

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The Curious Thing About Resilience

Esperance, a small city on Western Australia's south coast, suffered horrendous bush fires in November 2015. Four people died as a result, and several hundred-thousand hectares of land were burned. Asked if the people of the shire had grown in resilience because of the adversity they'd suffered, the shire president said, "No! We were already resilient." Councillor Victoria Brown is right. Resilience is not primarily something that grows.

The curious thing about resilience is we do not develop it as much as we display it.

Resilience stands as its own testimony of the strength of faith we exemplified in facing an extraneous hardship.

Resilience is nothing without a test. But suddenly, in the presence of a test, it appears or it's lacking. It all depends on our response at the time, and, if factors within the situation coalesce, an unpredicted strength comes to the fore. Therefore, we should never write anyone off when life turns against them; they may well rise to the occasion, making that rock bottom incident the catalyst for something incredibly inspiring.

Resilience is a gift given in the heat of the blaze itself. As much as God's enemy cranks up the heat, God supplies strength through faith to endure it.

This 'resilience' is the gospel in play in a person's life, whether they attribute it to Jesus' resurrection power or not.

The amazing thing about faith is this: through the power of the Holy Spirit we no longer have to accept that our failed efforts for change are wasted. We can impact anything in our lives that we find unacceptable if we have sufficient belief; through accepting resilience's offer - a self-imposed exile of sacrifice to display resilience - we can change.

Believe for resilience. When life turns upside down, you're in prime position to show what you're made of: resilience. But don't be fooled that resilience is strength in you being strong; it's simply a strength that continues to believe in the goodness of God when life is at its worst; a robust strength in unparalleled weakness.

Until a bushfire crisis sweeps through our lives we do not know what resilience we have; how that very event will burn off cowardice for courage amid change.

Only in the moment of challenge is the catalyst for change truly revealed.

One thing we can do when life turns south: trust God despite our instinct to run or repel.

Download 25 Most Powerful Motivational Quotes

http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Curious-Thing-About-Resilience&id=9576052