What do you do when something happens to block your plans? Do you give up? Find a way around them? How about find a way to use them? To my mind, that’s the best answer.
I’ve had a bit of experience with this. In February of 2006, I was tossed by a horse. The accident was my fault, which didn’t help matters much. In that fall, I damaged my back and was left with serious sciatica.
If that wasn’t obstacle enough, in August of that same year, I shattered my left knee. Between the two accidents, standing for long periods of time and walking even short distances cause serious pain issues.
All my life until that point, I had worked jobs that require both of those things; standing and walking. They also involve bending and climbing, which are also on the difficult and painful side.
That’s an obstacle. It’s not as bad as many, though it is worse than some. Some people can’t walk at all. The question is, what should any of us do when we run into major snags? The answer is all in our attitude.
While I’m getting *real* tired of people telling me “if life gives you lemons, make lemonade,” the meaning of the phrase is accurate. Ok, so I can’t do what I used to do. What other options are available?
Bear in mind that you may have to work on changing your attitude. Pain, anger and disappointment will probably occur. They are natural reactions. You’ll have to work at getting your attitude straightened out, but you can do it.
Once you’ve got your own attitude adjusted to finding a solution, start looking for the things you can do. Look at things you enjoy doing. Are any of them options?
Going back to my example, I’ve always loved writing. I’ve always loved working with herbs. Finding a place like Yahoo! Associated Content and other on-line magazines has helped me turn my obstacle into an opportunity. I doubt I’d ever have tried to write if I was still working retail.
You may have a totally different set of circumstances from mine, but that doesn’t make you any less able to use this story to help you overcome them. It really is all in your attitude. If you decide that your obstacle is your opportunity, you can make something new and perhaps even better happen.