4 Practices to Triumph Any Trial The greater your inner resilience, the greater potential you have. Next time a storm approaches, weather it with these good habits.
By Claudia Chan Edited by Dan Bova
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Are you facing an obstacle that feels insurmountable?
Aren't we all? Trials are inevitable in life and certainly in entrepreneurship, but believe it or not, the pain can be good for you. I am a firm believer that obstacles are what test our hearts, minds and bodies so that we can acquire wisdom and build our stamina for the greater things we will encounter and pursue in life. Looking back at your experiences, was it the good or tough times that taught you the most? It is when we don't get that promotion, when we lose that deal or when we lack resources that we are forced to find solutions and build our inner core of resilience. (No, I don't mean solid abs, though that would be nice, too!)
The greater your inner resilience, the greater potential you have! So the next time a storm approaches, weather it with these good habits:
1. The First Step Is to Soften Around a Challenge
When something is stressing us out, we tend to immediately react to the challenge in a physical or emotional way that leads to a limiting outcome and triggers more stress. In order to solve problems, we need to create opportunities around them, which requires us to first digest the situation. The next time you freak out, take a massive inhale into your chest and exhale that pressure, knowing solutions require space to develop.
2. Realize Obstacles Create Opportunities
Instead of hating yourself and the problem, stop to consider the opportunities that this challenge may be offering you. Obstacles are defined as "a thing that blocks one's way or prevents or hinders progress." When things reach this rock bottom place, our creative instincts kick in and guide us toward alternative positive paths that would have never been considered. The benefit of hitting lows is that most directions that follow point up.
Related: 7 Habits to Work Proactively, Not Reactively
3. Allow Tomorrow to Be a New Day
I know, disaster has hit. You have never been this stressed out in your whole life. Your need for control has you obsessing for a solution that isn't ripe yet and you're judging yourself for obsessing. The best thing for you in this moment is to hit the hay and realize you have the chance to start over tomorrow. And if you start the new day with a positive attitude, you'll be blown away by the progress you can make.
4. "Invite the World Inside" and Meditate
And if you can't shut your mind or worry off, my dear friend and yoga teacher Susanna Harwood Rubin says, "Invite the world in if you can't escape it." Rather than the impossible task of emptying your mind, give your mind something specific on which to meditate. Take a comfortable seated position and close your eyes. Begin to draw your attention to everything around you: the sounds in the room, out in the hallway, and in the street. Relax, letting it all in like a complex song that the world is offering to you. Begin to notice the smells, the warmth or coolness of the air, the touch of the chair or the floor against your body, even the texture of your clothing against your skin. Notice how the world around you connects with your body. Then draw your attention from the surface of your skin to the muscles, fluids, and bones of your inner body. Connect with your body's pulse. Feel free to stay here for a while. When you finish, begin to move outward from center, reversing the process, expanding from your inner world back into the world outside. Open your eyes. This technique, I assure you, will refresh your mind and boost your ability to be resilient!
Related: 5 Practices to Gain More Time and Master Productivity
