"When you squeeze an orange, orange juice comes out — because that's what's inside. When you are squeezed, what comes out is what is inside."
~Dr. Wayne Dyer
All of us are "squeezed" at some point in our lives. Adversity hits and it is in those times that we demonstrate what we are made of inside. Do we respond with courage? Do we respond with integrity? What do we do to rise above it? How you respond in times of adversity can say a lot about your character and values. For some people, adversity brings out the best in them; in others, it brings out the worst. What is inside you?
This week: Examine this question by remembering a time when you faced some sort of adversity. Remember how you handled it. What would you want to change about how you handled it? How would you handle that same situation if it happened to you today, knowing what you know now and having all the resources you currently have? How do you feel about how you would handle the situation today? If there is something you would want to change, look carefully at what that is. What would you need to be able to do differently? How can you get to the point where you would be able to do it? Is there something you need to learn? A skill you need to develop? A value you need to keep in mind? Assistance you need from others? How can you become more congruent in your responses so that you would be able to respond to adversity in a way that demonstrates who you are (and who you want to be)? Begin to develop those resources, a little at a time.
Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and certified trainer at the Inner Resource Center, LLC. She is an expert at helping people develop the resources they need to transform their life. For more information about her services, including some free resources, go to http://www.innerresourcecenter.com/.
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7 comments:
Linda, I love all your questions as you help us become more aware of what brings out the inside and what is indeed inside. One of the really tough, guiding questions I try to remember to ask myself is, "Am I allowing my voice to be present in this?" That can be a real 'ouch' one for me!
This are great questions to ask when things seem to be piling up and things don't seem to be going my way. I love the idea of observing myself in times of crisis so I can learn, instead of looking back after the fact when times are better and losing the lesson. Thanks so much for this post.
Ok, now you made it tough on me today!
I usually go with the approach of putting my head down and pushing even harder......certain stages that works, and certain stages it's horrible to do.
Thanks for the provoking questions...
Don't worry, Gregg--putting your head down and pushing harder has its place too! Check out Wisdom from the Horse's Mouth -- November 15, 2010 -- Work H... http://conta.cc/bHqZ4c via #constantcontact
Linda--So great! Love the Dyer quote. I have learned that when we react to any situation we are EITHER coming from a place of fear or love. Fear is left brain work and love is right brain work. We have two completely different yet complimentary personalities within our minds. When you face adversity, if you can just take a step back for a moment and decide if you want to come at the situation from fear or love, you might be surprised at the resources within yourself that you can access. Thank you, Linda! Whitney
I love the idea of "squeezing" and what is inside comes out - frustration, love, awareness, determination. It's a great thought.
Sue P.
Very timely post for me. I made a mistake with a client project last week. I could have blamed it on someone else and gotten away with it, but then I wouldn't have been able to sleep at night. So, I owned my mistake, apologized, and did what I needed to do to make it right. It wasn't easy, but it was the right thing to do.
Sandy
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