When my daughter Lindsay was a little girl, she was looking through some black and white baby pictures of her dad. She asked, “Daddy, was everything black and white in the old days?”
“Yes,” he said.
She looked puzzled and asked, “When did the new days start?”
He quickly replied, “When your mom was born.”
Change is happening all of the time. We often don’t notice the little or unexpected changes until we look back and see how far we’ve come.
Some change – like the pandemic – happens so fast we can get thrown-off balance physically, financially, relationally, and emotionally. That’s the kind of change we’re experiencing now.
In the blink of an eye, we’ve entered another set of “new days.”
Here are some inspiring stories and tips to help make adapting to change a little easier:
1. Believe You Can Overcome Obstacles
Bethany Hamilton survived a shark attack while surfing at the age of 13. During the attack her left arm was bitten off by a shark. After a month of medical operations, she learned how to surf with one arm using a customized board. Today, she is one of the most talented and famous surfers in the world!
We are in the middle of a pandemic and we don’t know when this storm will end. However, as Bethany says:
“You can live a deeply rich and meaningful life even in the midst of crisis.”
2. Persevere
Ariana Huffington had her second book rejected by publishers 36 times, despite the success of her first book. Two years later she decided to create an online magazine called The Huffington Post. While many people doubted her idea, Huffington persevered building The Huffington Post into a global organization. It was acquired by AOL in 2011 for $315 million.
When you hit a roadblock, try another route. As Ariana Huffington says:
“Perseverance is everything. Everybody has failures, but successful people keep on going.”
3. Innovate
Kyle Maynard, born with a condition known as congenital amputation, is the first quadruple amputee to successfully ascend the highest mountain in Africa, Mount Kilimanjaro, without any prosthetics. He accomplished this climb by using pieces of bicycle tire taped to his limbs for protection. That’s innovative!
Looking at your life or your business, what new approaches, ideas, or products, can you add to what is already established? For instance, in my business as an Accredited Speaker, I’ve created a home studio so I can deliver virtual keynotes and online training for individuals and corporations around the globe. (See my most recent past post for pics.)
4. Trust That It’s Not Too Late
Diana Nyad became the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida (111 miles) without the aid of a shark cage. It was September 2, 2013, and she was sixty-four years old. Diana Nyad says:
“You’re never too old to chase your dreams.”
She’s right . . . you’ve never too old and it’s not too late!
What we’re going through now isn’t the end. It’s part of the journey. It’s difficult but it won’t last forever. The world will also never be the same. We must learn how to adapt and move forward.
Start by believing you can overcome obstacles, persevere, innovate, and trust that it’s not too late.
If you need online training to help you or your team to adapt well to change, reduce stress, and build resilience in these times, I invite you to message me for more information about my online courses, virtual keynotes, and online training sessions.
All my best, Denise Marek
