Sometimes life will push us to the edge of the proverbial cliff. And while we are there, legs dangling over the mountainside, our grip just about to slip–it asks us, “So what are you going to do?” Perhaps you have been there, or you are there now. Maybe you lost your business, your best friend or the candidate you voted for did not win.
Regardless of the source, the life you once knew came abruptly to an end. Somewhere along the way, there was a “pattern interrupt,” and it was not the music from the ice cream truck.
So what will it be? Will you resolve to live a life of mediocrity? Will you stop trying and dwell in misery?
This article will provide you with the 3 C’s necessary to come back quickly from the crisis–better than ever. Just know at any juncture in your journey, you can start over. How cool is that?!
1. Courage
What does it look like for you? Keep in mind it changes depending on the circumstances. It is not a one-size-fits-all shoe or muumuu. And, it is certainly not nearly as comfortable. However, you must get to know it—you will need it for your journey back. Courage does not necessarily mean leaping tall buildings with a single bound. For some of your courage, it might have been just getting out of bed this morning. It’s knocked down seven get up eight or more like 80 these days. After a setback, it is essential not to let fear shackle you. The chains of defeat can be detrimental to continued success.
Being courageous should not be confused with being careless, however. There is still such a thing as taking calculated risks.
Courage is simply continually getting back up after a failure. It is maintaining motivation. It is getting back up after a disappointment. It is getting back up after betrayal or a crushing downfall after business deals and relationships have gone awry. It is not a matter of age, gender, race, or social status. The opposite of complacency is courage. And, it is the very first step necessary to come back quickly from the crisis. What could you do to shake things up a bit?
2. Creativity
If what you were doing still worked, there would be no crisis to come back from. Creativity is not thinking outside the box; it realizes there is no box. It is that different animal Seth Godin talks about in “Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable.” And, it certainly doesn’t just apply to your business. It is doing something you’ve never done even though you have no idea how to do it. Perhaps it is writing or publishing your first book, producing programs or workshops on a unique topic.
It might even be venturing into a totally new area altogether. Take one idea from here, another from there, and add your own flavor. I refer to it on “Day 89—What’s Your Flavor?” in “Think on These Things.” Recreating the wheel is not always necessary. Just make it roll better—longer, faster. THAT is creativity, putting your own spin on it. This ties in directly with courage. Say “YES” and figure it out as you go.
Let your imagination run wild! That’s what real living is all about. Come back creatively!
3. Commitment
In the midst of it all falling apart, this is the glue that pulls it back together, commitment! No matter what happens, quitting is not an option. If you can’t go over, under, or around it, resolve to go straight through it–with courage!
Find a “why” that is BIGGER than you could ever be. Identify and pull on that wellspring of strength within. Revisit your mission and restate your vision. Coming back from a crisis may be just the confirmation needed to define your purpose.
In the words of the late Wayne Dyer, “If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” Though obstacles and events may shake us to the very core, as it did for me, we always have a choice. We can give up, or we can commit.
All comebacks start in mind. With a healthy dose of courage, creativity, and commitment, we can come back quickly from any crisis.
