How To Easily Turn Every Setback Into A Blessing In Disguise
"It was a blessing in disguise..."
I'm sure you've used this to describe a setback in your life. As if it was fate that your girlfriend broke up with you or fate that caused you to get fired from your job all so that better things could fall into place.
I use this phrase all the time to describe when things don't exactly play out as planned. Though I may use it, I hate what it assumes. It assumes I had no role in how the scenario turned out. It implies that this mysterious force called "fate" is the one to blame or thank.
What if I told you that you can turn every bad situation into a blessing in disguise? I know it's hard to believe but you can create these miracles at will.
If it's so easy why don't more people do it?
It's because everyone likes being the victim and this leads to the first step in turning your setback into a little blessing..
Stop acting like a victim.
Something I've realized in my 25 years on this earth is that roughly 80% of the people I meet tend to have a victim mindset. Most people will wallow in their misery once things don't go their way. Being a victim is easy because you don't have to take responsibility and we all know how frightening responsibility can be. Being responsible requires taking action and we are lazy, plain and simple.
The scariest aspect of having responsibility is that it means being blamed if things don't work out....but why are we assuming things won't work out? Having responsibility also means we get all the fame and glory if things DO work out. Think of how amazing it'll feel to be the hero instead of the victim for once. The first hurdle simply requires a mental shift.
Next, actively look at what possibilities exist.
This is critical. Looking for the good within the bad is especially hard for someone who tends to look at the glass half empty. That's why I stress the word "actively", meaning not letting your natural tendencies dictate everything.
Instead, make a real effort. Come up with a list of all the things you can do in your situation. Lost your job? Spend more time actively pursuing your passions. Got dumped or cheated on? Go out, party your ass off, and make out with as many people as you possibly can =) Got into a traumatic car accident? Learn to better appreciate life and create stronger relationships with loved ones. There are an infinite amount of positive opportunities even if your world has been turned upside down.
It is incredibly easy to find the good in every situation because there is always good in everything. All it takes is for you to ACTIVELY look for the possibilities presented in front of you. They do exist.
Lastly, assume responsibility and take active action.
This step is what separates winners from losers because its the hardest to do. That is to TAKE ACTION. It's one thing to recognize the possibilities, it's another to actually make it happen. Assume RESPONSIBILITY and take ACTIVE control (sorry for the excessive use of caps lock but this needs to be hammered in). If you don't assume responsibility or take active action then you might as well have not read this article. Instead, you're better off crying yourself to sleep every night wishing your life was better...
Okay maybe not, but you get the idea. Like a lot of aspirations, it'll just be a pipe dream. If you want to be able to describe every setback in your life as a blessing in disguise then you have to recognize that you've got the power. Just like Marky Mark =)
I'm sure you've used this to describe a setback in your life. As if it was fate that your girlfriend broke up with you or fate that caused you to get fired from your job all so that better things could fall into place.
I use this phrase all the time to describe when things don't exactly play out as planned. Though I may use it, I hate what it assumes. It assumes I had no role in how the scenario turned out. It implies that this mysterious force called "fate" is the one to blame or thank.
What if I told you that you can turn every bad situation into a blessing in disguise? I know it's hard to believe but you can create these miracles at will.
If it's so easy why don't more people do it?
It's because everyone likes being the victim and this leads to the first step in turning your setback into a little blessing..
Stop acting like a victim.
 |
| I can be your hero baaaaby |
Something I've realized in my 25 years on this earth is that roughly 80% of the people I meet tend to have a victim mindset. Most people will wallow in their misery once things don't go their way. Being a victim is easy because you don't have to take responsibility and we all know how frightening responsibility can be. Being responsible requires taking action and we are lazy, plain and simple.
The scariest aspect of having responsibility is that it means being blamed if things don't work out....but why are we assuming things won't work out? Having responsibility also means we get all the fame and glory if things DO work out. Think of how amazing it'll feel to be the hero instead of the victim for once. The first hurdle simply requires a mental shift.
Next, actively look at what possibilities exist.
This is critical. Looking for the good within the bad is especially hard for someone who tends to look at the glass half empty. That's why I stress the word "actively", meaning not letting your natural tendencies dictate everything.
Instead, make a real effort. Come up with a list of all the things you can do in your situation. Lost your job? Spend more time actively pursuing your passions. Got dumped or cheated on? Go out, party your ass off, and make out with as many people as you possibly can =) Got into a traumatic car accident? Learn to better appreciate life and create stronger relationships with loved ones. There are an infinite amount of positive opportunities even if your world has been turned upside down.
It is incredibly easy to find the good in every situation because there is always good in everything. All it takes is for you to ACTIVELY look for the possibilities presented in front of you. They do exist.
This step is what separates winners from losers because its the hardest to do. That is to TAKE ACTION. It's one thing to recognize the possibilities, it's another to actually make it happen. Assume RESPONSIBILITY and take ACTIVE control (sorry for the excessive use of caps lock but this needs to be hammered in). If you don't assume responsibility or take active action then you might as well have not read this article. Instead, you're better off crying yourself to sleep every night wishing your life was better...
Okay maybe not, but you get the idea. Like a lot of aspirations, it'll just be a pipe dream. If you want to be able to describe every setback in your life as a blessing in disguise then you have to recognize that you've got the power. Just like Marky Mark =)
Comments
I agree with what you're saying though. Most people have a victim mentality, and when you call them out to act, they hem and haw and make excuses.
Negative Nellies are the worst, because they just drag everybody else down to their level. Situation sucks? I got it. Don't need to hear about a hundred times thereafter. It's like these guys are stuck in a mental feedback loop, but they don't realize they're in it.
Yeah I feel like the victim mindset and negative thinking runs so rampant. Something I've tried to do is surround myself with like-minded people. People who man up, make positive changes in their lives, and most importantly...don't complain!
Its amazing how positively or negatively the people you surround yourself with can affect your own mindset. Surrounding yourself with positive, proactive, non-complainers is something everyone should strive to do.