Revision your Circumstances
Let me share a personal story to give an example of taking a perceived obstacle and turning it into a growth opportunity.
Once upon a time (before I knew how to self-coach) I used to have a mindset that when “bad” things happened to me that meant something about me! I would see a friend’s cancellation of a dinner plan as something personal about me. It would trigger all kinds of sensations and feelings in my body and often would leave me sitting on the couch feeling sad and sorry for myself. This was the old me. But no more!
When something “unexpected” shows up I now have a growth mindset that allows for a moment of disappointment/sadness to come up but then I ask myself a powerful, open-ended coaching question.
What new opportunity is showing up in this moment?
Taking a once perceived obstacle and asking a powerful question and looking for a new opportunity serves me much more powerfully and I don’t find myself sitting on my couch feeling bad. In the recent past, a cancelled appointment is now viewed as a great moment to do something unplanned. A client cancels = now means I get to reach out to other people and chat, something great always happens with that. A friend changes our next meeting I ask myself what new opportunity can I engage in. I might write a blog post, read a much neglected book, go shopping, tick off something on my to-do list. I rarely find myself stuck, sad, or feeling powerless. I now take every turn as a potential new adventure. Life feels much more alive and interesting.
When someone does something that changes my plans I sit and wait, hmmm…Wonder what is about to happen next. The energy has shifted from flat to energetic.
This has happened because of coaching and being aware that percieved obstacles can become opportunities: It is a wonderful shift in my thinking and creates a great deal more fun in my highly structured day.
Revision your perception and mindset
Be willing to ask yourself a powerful open-ended question about this situation
Be open and creative about whatever shows up (this leads to feeling unstoppable)
So my unstoppable friends, my challenge to you? Come up with a powerful open-ended question that will allow your brain space to overcome a perceived obstacle (disappointment) and allow the question to do its magic. Then wait for the magic to show up, it may be different than what you are used to but that could be good. Look at some of my favorite questions and see if you can use them or come up with an even better one!
What are the next steps I can take in this moment?
How do I want to think about this situation?
What can I do to add more fun to my life right now?
What is perfect about this?
What does the universe have in store for me now?
In summary, please know that you are in control of your thinking, your mindsets and your perceptions. Often times these are like unconscious programs running our lives. But guess what? That no longer has to be the case. Develop more tools for your life and pull out the powerful question tool when life (or a person) throws you a curveball.
Good luck in forming a more powerful question!