Dr. Robert Schuller said it best when he coined the phrase, “tough times never last tough people do.” He’s living proof. Millard Fuller founder, extraordinaire, of habitat for humanity is no stranger to struggle either. Hell, that’s his middle name. He traded a lifestyle of lap and luxury for a saw and a hammer. How did he do it? He found inspiration to giving back through a not so pleasant doctors report.
Now his organization builds homes for well deserving lives all over the world. Despite Fuller’s struggles with his health, and family he managed to rise above the difficult times to leave his mark on the world. In short the key underlying factor in both the lives of Fuller and Schuller is this. No matter what curves and turns each had to negotiate, both found the straight and narrow from the arrow of precision, participation, and yes peace.
The million dollar question. How do you make peace with the struggle? Well for starters Fredrick Douglas once said “Where there’s no struggle there’s no progress. The key word in Douglas quote is “progress.” Progress is a accomplished when a leader can minimize mistakes, learn from those same mistakes and share their wealth of information to the next man.
In this scenario you’ve accomplished progress for yourself and help someone else through shared knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. Here are three rules to make peace with the struggle.
Rule # 1: Visualize and understand life through a blind mans eyes. Richard Eden is a great friend of mine who i met a few years ago. He is legally blind in both of his eyes, but not in his mind. He could easily wake up each morning and complain about his situation, but instead he uses his faith and peace as a positive coping tool. Here is the point I would like to make. Positively breeds belief, and belief sustains peace. Life is only struggle if you see it as a struggle. Open your eyes.
Rule # 2: “Resist the thought of placing yourself in someone else shoes of success. If you’re not willing to go through the trials and tribulations of that same person then you are not ready for the introduction of that man or woman’s life. Remember that. This mentality will leave you at a constant stream of struggle and strife all your life.
Rule # 3: Being positive is a state of mind and a way of life. Big idea. You must eat, sleep, and breathe positively. Like eating and breathing is essential to life, being positive is the life blood for all of the leaders you serve.
How are you turning bad times into great times during your goal setting objectives.