Dealing With Loss

The loss of children is a pain all bereaved parents share, and it is a degree of suffering that is impossible to grasp without experiencing it first-hand. I know, because I've lost two-beautiful daughters. 

Losing a child is the loneliest, most desolate journey a person can take and the only people who can come close to appreciating it are those who share the experience. What people fail to realize often, it's not just an emotional toll. It's financial, spiritual and intellectual trauma that has to be worked through. 

Most of what I share in this article, is about putting life into perspective. The greatest gift that my daughters taught me, was to appreciate every moment and every relationship and do my best to make a positive impact on others. As a business professional, I do exactly that. I coach, train and mentor others so that they can succeed in their personal and professional endeavors and live better lives as a result. 

In business, small things that appear outside your control can happen all the time, such as the awkward customer who is never happy regardless of what you do, or the prospect that keeps telling you "maybe" or, "come back next month" that is a challenge to your selling abilities. 

Other unexpected events may force you to realize that you made a wrong decision at some point, or failed with a project you once felt confident about. Either way, the small negative occurrences may be your opportunity to test your coping mechanisms and prepare you for the "bigger opportunities". That's right, opportunities. 

You see, loss can teach you a great deal about yourself. Your level of commitment. Your integrity and resolve. Your loyalty to your cause and yes, your courage. 

As sales professionals, we here "no" far more than we hear "yes". There are days where success seems to allude us and without performance, comes loss. When setbacks happen, it can be hard not to panic and to stay positive, especially if you have a tendency to beat yourself up when things go wrong. However, being positive doesn’t mean that you should ignore or downplay what’s happened either, instead, try to look for ways to help you see your challenge in perspective and trust that you will cope.

Always be mindful that a lot of things in business are completely outside our control. Perhaps your best customer is only leaving because of major changes happening behind the scenes? I lost a good long-term customer once when their company was bought by another one, causing all employees much uncertainty during the transition period.

Flexible and resilient business professionals know that their business won’t always develop in a totally predictable way. Being open to adjusting your course from time to time, will help you to cope with potentially much bigger changes in the long run.

Lastly, put your situation into perspective. Understand that all situations in life and in business are temporary. Then, when a setback happens, you can see it in the context of your whole business and this may make you feel a little better and more in control of your situation. 

Loss can teach you a lot about yourself. It's how you deal with it, that defines your reality and ultimately your success.