Publishing Guidelines: This article may be freely publishedso long as the author's resource box, bylines, and copyrightare included.TITLE: Tough TimesAUTHOR: Jerry LopperCONTACT: jerry@yourcoachtosucc...
Publishing Guidelines: This article may be freely published so long as the author's resource box, bylines, and copyright are included.
TITLE: Tough Times AUTHOR: Jerry Lopper CONTACT: jerry@yourcoachtosuccess.com
WORD COUNT: 510 FORMAT: This article is formatted to 61 cpl.
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For most of us, life is a mixture of placid and tumultuous experiences. Like a roller coaster ride, life brings us periods of smooth ride punctuated with interludes of stomach churning, accelerating drops through the unexpected. As a younger man, I tended to resist the unpredictable and difficult life challenges coming my way, thinking that I could keep life smooth and predictable by exerting control, working harder, and working smarter. Of course, I failed.
Now I realize that life is supposed to be just as it is. In fact, I’ve come to appreciate the breath-taking drops for the opportunities they bring me-not that I always welcome them, but I appreciate them.
Tough times have much to offer us. Only when challenged do I have the opportunity to experience who I am and what I can do. Tough times show me my true self, and permit me to demonstrate who I am to my loved ones and myself.
We are role models for some one at all times. As parents, we are probably somewhat aware of the role modeling responsibility, but it’s not just our children who watch us. It often surprises me to find that someone with whom I’ve had infrequent casual interactions regards me a role model for some aspect of life. Perhaps this is not so surprising, when I realize that I hold similar regard for others, yet have not told them so.
Do you hold strong convictions about your values, such as integrity, peace, equality, honesty, and loyalty? The best way to demonstrate your convictions, to both yourself and others, is to exemplify your values when you experience tough times. It’s relatively easy to behave honestly when things are going smoothly-but much more difficult to be honest when you’re short of money and your bank makes a $1,000 error in your favor. What a wonderful opportunity to declare and experience your honesty!
In the midst of your current tough time, remember these truths: - Life is eternal. - Much of the tough in tough times stems from fear of what might result. - Most fears do not materialize. - Regardless of the apparent severity of your current difficulty, to your soul this is simply a life experience, an illusion of reality for the sake of experience. - There is opportunity within every difficult time-the chance to live as your highest self. Your behavior declares who you are. - Life’s experiences have no meaning other than the meaning you attribute.
Copywrite 2004, all rights reserved. Jerry Lopper is an author, personal coach, and consultant. His workshops, ebooks, articles, and coaching are available through http://www.yourcoachtosuccess.com where you can sign up for complimentary articles and coaching. For a complimentary coaching session email to compcoach@yourcoachtosuccess.com.
