EP 48 – The Benefits of Seeing the OPPORTUNITY In Every CHALLENGE
Hey, hey! It’s Friday, and you know what that means — time for Friday Bullpen Sessions!
Let’s face it: 2020 has thrown us more than a few curveballs. We’ve had a pandemic, hurricanes, wildfires, a polarized election — it has been one crazy year, and many of us have experienced major setbacks. Thousands of people’s careers have been turned totally upside down, and many of us are struggling to regroup.
Whatever setbacks you’ve experienced as a result of this insane year, what is your attitude about the few months we have left in 2020? As I write this post, it’s August 21st. That means there are just over four months left until the end of the year. Do you view these next four months as one big, fat challenge? Or do you see them as an opportunity to do something great? Are you thinking pessimistically or optimistically?
That’s what I want to talk about today. You see, I believe that you cannot get to where you want to go unless you have the right perspective on what the end of the year is going to look like. The right perspective will help you use these last four months to turn this year around and truly succeed in your business.
If you’re interested in talking directly to me about this, please feel free to reach out! Send me a DM on Instagram or schedule a call with me on my website. I would love to connect with you and help you discover how you can turn this year around and make it your most successful year yet.
But right now, we’re talking about opportunities and challenges. I want to give you a little bit of wisdom to help you shift your perspective and start seeing the incredible potential of the next four months. Yes, 2020 has been a hard year so far, but you still have time to start something new, rebuild, and turn these last few months into the beginning of something great. So with that, let’s get started!
The Colorado Wildfires
I wanted to start today with a little story about something that happened recently. Just last weekend, a couple of my friends and I went out on what I might call a little man-cave session. We had planned to head over to a beautiful area of Colorado called Glenwood Springs to play a little golf and spend some time hanging out. But as we were preparing to embark on our trip, we started realizing, “Hey, this may be difficult.”
I don’t know if you’ve seen this on the news, but we’ve been having some massive wildfires here in Colorado. We’ve had four major wildfires, all burning at the same time. And one of those fires started early last week in the Glenwood Canyon area — right near where we’d planned to go.
Nevertheless, we were able to go on our little trip, we had a good time, and after spending our last night in Aspen, we set out to make the drive back home to Fort Collins. Now, I knew that there had been massive wildfires relatively nearby, but what I didn’t know was that the fourth wildfire had kicked up over the weekend and was quickly growing out of control.
As we were driving home, we started seeing major smoke coming up as we started coming down the Hoosier Pass, and we realized, “That’s way too close.” That’s when I grabbed my iPhone, did a quick Google search, and learned about the new fire.
Four wildfires covering many thousands of acres is a huge deal. So many people in the state of Colorado have been forced to evacuate their homes, and a ton of land is just being absolutely devastated right now. It’s a dangerous situation, and in this particularly dry season where we haven’t had rain for a long time, it can start to feel a little hopeless.
Rise Like a Phoenix
As my buddies and I were driving home this weekend and watching that enormous plume of smoke go up over our beautiful state of Colorado, I can tell you we weren’t feeling good. So much of Colorado has been devastated by these wildfires this year — another massive fire was the last thing we needed.
At that point, I texted Amy and said, “Man, I thought that was the Cameron Pass, but this is actually another fire.” But then, she said something that surprised me and brought a little smile to my face. She replied, “All this means is that we, Colorado, are going to rise out of these ashes like a phoenix.”
Have you ever heard of a phoenix? A phoenix is a mythical bird that grows up, eventually grows old, bursts into flames, and then is reborn out of its own ashes. Phoenixes are constantly dying and being reborn in this cycle that repeats over and over. They’re amazing because even though they seem to experience these dramatic, fiery deaths, they’re always reborn out of the ashes.
Colorado may be up in flames right now, and there may be ashes everywhere. But as my girlfriend, Amy, said, we’ll rise from those ashes. We’ll just have to be reborn. We’ll start over, rebuild, and be even better and stronger than we were before, just like a Phoenix.
I didn’t expect Amy’s response, but it definitely put a smile on my face, and here’s why: I think she has the right perspective. Instead of despairing about the fate of Colorado and feeling anxious and sad and hopeless about the wildfires, Amy is refusing to give up. She knows that we’ll rise again and be reborn out of the ashes. It may take time, but we’ll get there eventually.
Are You Using This Opportunity to Rise Like a Phoenix?
Do you see where I’m going with this? 2020 has left most of us in the ashes. We’ve experienced so many hardships and setbacks that it can be hard to imagine how we’re ever going to get out of this fire. But just like a phoenix, we can be reborn. We can start over and create new lives for ourselves.
I want you to take just a minute to evaluate yourself. Have you been spending your time thinking pessimistically? Are you complaining that the pandemic or the wildfires or any of the other crazy circumstances we’ve been in this year have destroyed your momentum? Are you blaming and shaming COVID-19 or the economy or whatever else for your lack of success this year? Or are you using this as an opportunity to start the rest of your life?
We have a unique opportunity right now. Yes, in 2020, many of us have lost some momentum in our careers. But now, we have time to reevaluate some things. Ask yourself some questions: Am I happy in my job? What kind of job would I like to have? Is it time to start my own business?
And think about who you’re hanging around. Are you spending your time with people who are lifting you up? Or are the people in your circle dragging you down? And what are your hobbies? What do you love about life? What are you enjoying? What could be better?
You have an incredible chance right now to start making changes and creating your dream life. If you’ve lost your job, maybe now’s the time to reinvent your career. If you’re finding yourself with more alone-time than ever before, maybe it’s time to pick up that new hobby you’ve wanted to try or to turn your old favorite hobby into a side hustle or business. The opportunities are literally endless.
But it all starts with your perspective. If you believe that 2020 is the end of all your success, it will be. But if you believe that 2020 is an opportunity to take notice of the things that could be better in your life and start making some changes to achieve greater success, it will be that too.
Choose to rise from the ashes, just like a phoenix. Don’t sit in the dust of whatever 2020 has destroyed for you. Choose to see this as an opportunity. Use these next four months to build something new and incredible that’s going to bring you success, happiness, and fulfillment for years to come.
You Control Your Perspective
It’s true — there’s a lot of bullshit in the world right now. It’s all over the news — the pandemic, the economy, the election, the wildfires — it’s a lot to deal with, and it’s easy to feel like we can’t control anything. But here’s what you can control: your perspective.
You have a choice right now: You can continue to view this year as a big, fat challenge and drag yourself through these last four months, or you can choose to see this year as an opportunity to make massive changes and start living your dream life. You can rise from the ashes just like a phoenix — it’s all about your perspective.
Thanks so much for joining me today, guys! Before I go, I want to give you two special offers: Number one, I want to invite you to join my Complete Game Mastermind. This is my coaching program, and it starts in just a few days! Masterminds are a great way to get coaching and put yourself in rooms with other entrepreneurs just like you. You can start building your community and gathering people around you who will support you and your growth.
You can also join my FREE text community! Just text the word “Mindset” to 414-622-1462, and I’ll give you access to a TON of free weekly coaching. If you’re not quite ready to take the plunge and join the Complete Game Mastermind, this text community is a great way to see if my coaching might be right for you.
Thanks again for joining me today, guys! Remember — when clarity and confidence collide, action happens. Go make it happen today!
Resources:
- Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andyneary/
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