Find the Silver Lining – Change Your Life

One of my clients suffered a devastating loss last week – a house fire. Yes, the family is safe. A few personal items were salvaged…but most of the house has been gutted. The furniture is gone, as is the roof over their heads. Unimaginable!!! I got a call from her yesterday and I was so inspired by her attitude!

She has chosen to handle the situation by not focusing on the uncontrollable aspects but instead focusing on the controllable – her attitude. She is focused on the “silver lining”…and moving forward. Huh?….silver lining??? Something she said really struck me “We are just so glad we are going through this with each other. We are bonding on a whole new level….our relationship is so strong right now”. They had also sent out an email letting people know they were OK and how they were focused on dreaming about the rebuilt house! Wow!!

This couple’s ability…no, “choice” – to re-frame their situation is incredible….and liberating…and healthy.

In the work I do, I encounter many people who are busy telling themselves “a story” – almost always limiting their potential outcome. These stories prevent them from moving on – prevent them from being the best version of themselves. We all have a choice. Often we have no control over the situation, but we can impact the outcome by choosing to change our perspective or reaction. In an excerpt from The Success Principles, author Jack Canfield uses an equation to illustrate this concept, E + R = O:

E (event) + R (reaction) = O (Outcome).
I love this! Whether sitting in traffic, looking for a job, or dealing with a house fire, you have a choice!! You can grumble about the cars and go home stressed out, or deal with it by looking forward to the traffic time by listening to a business book on CD. My client made a choice. She decided to change her “R” for a better “O” – looking for the silver lining versus letting this event define her. She will get past this, she will move on.

What’s your story…and how is it holding you back?!

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