Sometimes our troubles bury us. We get bad news followed by more bad news. We reach our limit and can’t tolerate any more disappointments, rejections or failures. Right now a lot of meeting professionals are feeling helpless in the face of cancellations caused by measures outside their control—mandated social distancing to slow the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus). If we don’t take intentional action, life can look distortedly dismal.
We ask ourselves, Why me? Why is this happening? Our spirits spiral downward and depression deeply sets in. Motivation flees. How do we bounce back? What can we do to recover? How can we imagine our lives restored to happiness? What does it take to turn things around so we can be happy and successful?
Aim High
Changing our state of mind is part of the key to coming back. We need to focus on hopeful thoughts and on a future that is bright and full of promise. As we change our thoughts, we need to think big. What do you want to achieve? What obstacles are in your way? How can you take advantage of this downtime to move your life forward toward achieving what at first appears to be impossible? Remove the filter in your mind that is limiting you from seeing the possibilities.
As we gear our lives for recovery, we might as well win big at this game called life. As long as we are bouncing back, let’s bounce back high! Imagine a rubber ball that has been thrown on the ground. See how high it soars as it bounces.
Thinking big is a creative process where ideas come to mind that will lead to big victories. The brainstorming process yields ideas and solutions that may at first examination seem absurd. Then the possibilities that come out of these ideas become attractive. This is the time to boldly internalize that these ideas can become realities.
It’s time to think, Why not me? This idea can work!
Plan for Action
I continue to discover in my life that after adversity comes opportunity, and after the opportunity, comes personal growth. Sometimes circumstances allow you to accomplish more than you would otherwise have accomplished if the adversity hadn’t hit.
Life takes twists and turns, forcing us to change our course of action and adapt to situations that are beyond our control. I have found that by consistently thinking big and dreaming about grand outcomes, I bounced back and my life has changed for the better.
It’s not enough to expect that great things will happen in our lives. We must do something to make these events happen. We have to make connections with other people and strategize a plan of action.
We need to spring into action and not depend on others to take charge of our lives. Too often we expect others to come through for us or take charge and do things on our behalf. It’s time to do what needs to be done and move forward by taking action to achieve our dreams.
Rosemarie Rossetti, Ph.D. is an agent of change who works with organizations and corporations to help them embrace change, improve performance and achieve goals.
