“Obstacles Create Opportunity”
I know I promised a blog for sugary treats, but the truth is that life isn’t always so sweet.
Right now is the busiest time of the year, and everything seems to be occurring at once, from classes, projects, papers, presentations, to appointments, meetings, and internship applications. I’m trying my hardest to hold it together, but I can feel the stress and sleeplessness seep in, which has been taking a toll on my work and my relationships. Its been especially daunting to watch my peers glow with excitement as they accept their summer internship positions at prestigious companies, while my own progress seems stunted.
But when I opened my inbox today, I found a message from Claudia Chan (check out her amazing and empowering website that celebrates the successes of women) that seemed to be exactly what I needed to hear:
“When things are easy, we cruise and don’t need to push ourselves that hard. But when presented with challenging or painful situations - we may complain, kick and scream for a while - but eventually and hopefully, we get creative and take steps towards making a positive change. It’s easy to forget that life is not a straight line but filled with these difficult, purposeful twists and turns so that we can travel to new places, build stamina and learn more about ourselves. Take 5 minutes to think about your past and identify what ignited your greatest decisions. Were they blissful or difficult situations?
Recognize that this obstacle is in your life for a reason and may even bring you something good if you choose to turn the negative into a positive.”
Claudia reminds us that obstacles will always weave in and out of our lives, regardless of our status: Rich, poor, wise, or lucky. Obstacles force us to make difficult, even painful decisions, and sometimes the only choice we seem to have is our attitude. By choosing our attitude, we can affect the outcome of our decision and our success.
Thank you, Claudia for your words of wisdom and for giving me a boost of motivation. I am feeling just a bit more optimistic.
Share your comments and stories! When has an obstacle created a difficult decision for you, and what was the outcome?
