Chapter 97

Lemons + Right Attitude = Lemonade

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Today's Empowering Quote
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"Adversity introduces a man to himself."
-Unknown

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Today's Empowering Question
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"Who can help?  What can I do?  Can a tool help?  What's the worst that could happen?  Can I live with that?  Is it possible to put a smile on?"

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Today's Fast Session
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Lots of empowering questions today, huh?

Well, in many situations you've got to keep firing these kinds of questions at yourself and keep your possibility hat on so real answers can come to you.

The first step in getting through any trying situation is to first realize that you can... if you don't break down.

If you don't have the core belief that you can get through this next thing, then it won't be possible for you to ask these types of questions...

...Just as if the ability itself to even think of asking these questions is locked in a vault.  Tell yourself that you believe.

That's why so many millions (billions) of people lock up and never come up with answers when they need them.  They don't ask the right questions.  Why?  They don't believe there is an answer, and if there is, they don't think they can come up with it.

I happen to live in Syracuse, NY...the snowiest major city in the US. In March of 1993, a storm roared up the east coast.  Rain, snow, high winds.  Not good.  In Syracuse, 43" of snow fell in just under 48 hours.  Add bone-chilling winds and you've got a real "party"...

...which is just what we were preparing for that day.

About 40 people (business associates and friends) were supposed to come over. We had the food.  The drinks.  My wife loves to entertain, so she spent the previous 24 hours buying the stuff and cooking and making phone calls.  It was going to be a party to end all parties.

Well, I'm coming from business in Albany, two hours away, flying down the NYS Thruway listening to the weather reports.  People are all over the road.  Off to the right. Off to the left.  The DJ's saying that any minute they could close the roads...

...I'm flying.  I got a party to go to.  And a driveway to clean!

They closed the Thruway within 5 minutes of my exiting.

My wife was getting really bummed out.  It didn't look good.  In fact, if you watched the news, it was a absolute horror show.

What to do?

I got on the phone.  Calling everyone.  "Hey! Party's still on!  Bring your sleeping bags and pajamas!  Lots of food. Plenty to drink..."

...nothing. No one can make it.  The plows have stopped plowing. A state of emergency is declared by the governor.

What to do?  We're not eating all this food!

Call the neighbors!  They can walk.  Well, they can trudge! Yeah!  There's the answer I've been looking for!

Soon, we had a bunch of people over eating and laughing and having a ball!  And that was the idea in the first place.

I have a question for you...

How many times, when you have a situation where things don't look good at all, do you stop asking the barrage of questions that bring you the positive answers that will solve it.  Do you ask any?

Or do you ask questions like, "How am I going to explain this to..." or "Who or what can I blame?"

During that storm, aside from when I was shoveling snow, I kept a smile on because there are few things in life that are worth getting worked up about.

Now go forth today and make yourself proud!

Ask yourself to come up with answers.  And keep asking until you get them. Find the lesson that is hiding - wanting to be found- inside each adversity.

Rarely do champions in any sport end their seasons undefeated. But they still get crowned Kings and Queens because they learn from their mistakes and defeats. They ask, "What should I do next time?"

The ones that don't, go home... confused?

By the way, after Syracuse was pounded with more snow than any other US city during that unbelievable east coast massacre, the Sunday newspaper (that arrived on Monday) had this headline:

WE'RE SNOW KING!


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Today's Winning Beliefs
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-- I see problems as learning opportunities
-- I focus on solutions and I find them
-- I take responsibility for my moods
-- My attitude is in great hands with me
-- I always find the lesson in each adversity

 

 

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