In the ditch
“Everything negative - pressure, challenges - is all an opportunity for me to rise.”
When we often talk about our life, career journeys, and lessons learned, we focus on the peaks and skip over the valleys.
It’s natural not to dwell on the challenges we have experienced, even when the most potent lessons sometimes lie in those valleys.
However, whether you are on a peak or valley, you will experience the reverse. Things will not go as planned and there will be challenges, disappointment, and loss. Those challenging times will also pass and you’ll find yourself on the other side as reminded by the saying “This too shall pass.”
For this week’s newsletter, I wanted to share a few tips to navigate the valleys:
Journal: When dealing with any challenges we can often get stuck in our heads, overthinking and worrying about things we cannot control. Journaling is one way to unpack the thoughts in our minds. By putting them on paper we can process and start to see the next steps.
Play the worst-case scenario game: When worrying about the situation, play out the worst-case scenario and how you would respond. Sometimes by naming our worst fear we remind ourselves that we would be able to figure out a way to navigate any situation and get through it.
Lean on your community: Although journaling is a tool you can use on your own to process challenges, it’s important to remember you are not alone. It’s easy to feel like we are alone and every challenge is completely unique to us, but the reality is that it is far more likely that someone else has gone through something similar and can relate and share their experience. Find a community you trust that you can lean on.
Get out in nature: You hear everywhere that exercise has so many benefits for your body and mind. However, getting out in the sun or in nature can really help shift your perspective, especially when things are tough. No matter where you are, if you are dealing with a challenge try going out for a short walk and notice how you feel afterward.
Get creative: When we are children we spend time on creative activities regardless of skill level. It’s something we do to express ourselves so naturally, and often completely forget to make time for as adults. When you are dealing with a stressful situation try doing anything creative. It becomes an almost meditative process and a fun way to express yourself.
Help someone: This is the biggest piece of advice I have for you this week. No matter what you may be going through, helping someone else, even in a small way, will be a gift for that person as well as for you. It will also remind you of all you have to be grateful for.
Valleys will happen. Do not fear them, but instead go into those tough times knowing you will get through it, no matter how hard, and no matter endless they may seem.
Remember that for every peak there may be a valley, but in the end, you will likely barely remember those valleys as you celebrate the peaks.
“You should never view your challenges as a disadvantage. Instead, it’s important for you to understand that your experience facing and overcoming adversity is actually one of your biggest advantages.”
Coming this month! Workshop: Join the waitlist for our upcoming Mastery Class: Mastering Self where we will focus on the building blocks to setting ambitious goals grounded in your values, and how creativity and powerful routines can help you achieve success. 💻
Podcast: Planet Money Episode 853: Peak Sand - A few years ago, an entire beach in a remote area of Jamaica vanished. Thieves dug up hundreds of tons of sand and hauled it away in dump trucks in the middle of the night. The sand--white, powdery, Caribbean sand--was worth about a million dollars.
Podcast: Planet Money The battle for Puerto Rico's beaches - Puerto Rico's beaches are an integral part of life on the island, and by law, they're one of the few places that are truly public. In practice, the sandy stretch of land where the water meets the shore is one of the island's most contested spaces.
Podcast: Marketplace Tech Could pausing AI development do more harm than good? As thousands call for a pause in the development of artificial intelligence, Will Rinehart at Utah State University warns against applying old regulations to new technology.
My favorite newsletters: The Hustle, Morning Brew, Seth Godin’s Blog, Atlas Obscura, Oprah Daily, Newsette. Are you a newsletter fan? Reply and let me know which newsletters you read 🗞️
My favorite podcasts: The Daily, NPR News Now, Marketplace, Marketplace Tech, Don’t Keep Your Day Job, The Highest Self, Planet Money. Do you listen to podcasts? Reply to this to share your recommendations with me! 📢
Are you burned out, frustrated, working twice as hard, and struggling to get team support? Be the Leader Employees are Seeking provides a comprehensive roadmap to manage the people side of the business. It uses the H.U.M.A.N.S 1st Technique principles that are curated by decades of real-life experiences and proven success.
Whether a NEW, SEASONED or CURIOUS leader, implementing the H.U.M.A.N.S. 1st Technique offers insight that will begin to repair the workplace, spark positive relationships and initiate great success.
P.S. Reply to this newsletter and let me know what you are reading 📚
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This week’s feature is from Inspirational Quotes:
Success is not the absence of failure; it’s the persistence through failure.
This is a fitting quote for this week’s newsletter.
No matter where you are in your leadership journey, what you may be experiencing, or what you might be navigating, by persevering you are continuing to move toward your success.
