Don't be a victim: find the opportunity buried within the crisis
When we’re in a state of crisis, it’s all too easy to be overwhelmed by all the negatives surrounding that crisis. However, you can get out from under this by finding the opportunities that emerge. And, believe me, you will ALWAYS be able to find opportunities!
A classic example of this is when someone loses their job. After the shock and disappointment, there’s a chance to take stock and look for the positives. It may be that, in truth, you were only in the job because you were making a lot of money -- even though it wasn’t that rewarding. Or it could be that you had always harbored a secret dream of becoming an artist but had felt that the life of an artist was not secure enough. It’s amazing how something can cause a discontinuity in our lives that can force us to take a risk and move out of our comfort zone. Many people find it very comfortable just cruising through life until they are rudely awakened or thrown off course. But that discontinuity, or disruption, usually turns out to be a blessing in disguise. The loss creates space, a void out of which something different, new and even magical arises.
For years I endured an unsatisfactory marriage, too scared to escape. When I finally made the break I was so much happier and started to do things I’d wanted to do for years but didn’t feel I had the freedom to do. I began playing cricket again after a long hiatus of twenty nine years! And I fulfilled a teenage dream to perform my spoken word pieces on stage with live music.
Similarly, I had always wanted to write a book but had procrastinated for years because I couldn’t decide what to write about. But after the major life challenges that stemmed from my kidney problems, my friend Vishnu suggested I write a book about my journey with kidney disease. Bingo! Suddenly that was it. And a year later, this September, my book ‘Gotta Kidney?! A Journey Through Fear To Hope And Beyond’ was published. My kidney crisis finally triggered me to write a book and now I am an author!
In summary, I encourage you all to not let your next crisis take you down, but rather explore and discover the opportunity it gives you to have a better and more exciting future!
