"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/.