Somebody once told me that the Chinese character for crisis is the same as the one for opportunity. I don’t know if it’s true (maybe you can tell me) but it’s a cool idea. In every crisis lies an opportunity. If only we could maintain vision and optimism, we’d quickly spot the opportunities made available by our crises.
On any one given week, I’m likely to have my share of crises. Well, not necessarily crises, but breakdowns, disappointments, frustrations and disagreements. In almost every case, I’ve been able to transform those conditions into very satisfying outcomes. So have you, no doubt. Otherwise you’d be up to your eyeballs in problems right now. So obviously, you’ve solved or overcome most.
Wouldn’t it be nice to remember that? If, going into each challenge, you were able to remind yourself that you’re almost always victorious, you could meet the challenge with lightheartedness, faith and optimism.
These days, I look at most of my problems in that way. For example, I just got off the phone with one of my support people with whom I was having a bit of a disagreement. I started the conversation by saying that I was committed to having it be an opportunity to get even closer. And by the end of the conversation, we were.
So, my recommendation for this week is take a moment before tackling your latest crisis, and commit to what kind of opportunity it represents. Then, if you’re in it with someone else, communicate that commitment to them too. Have a great week!
