Finding the Gifts in Adversity

I received a phone call from my friend and colleague, Michael Castellano, principal of an elementary school which is part of the Pembroke Pines Charter School System near Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Several years earlier they had a 10 year old take their own life, and because of that they created an annual event called "Raising Positive Children". They brought me in to keynote and MC the event.

This kind of adversity is obviously a severe one which impacted the mindsets of that particular family, friends of the young boy, the teachers at the school, and anyone connected to that tragedy. Where in the world would you find a gift in that adversity?

As Michael, his team, and I spoke, we talked about how to use this adversity as a springboard to empower all the students of this school district in ways that inspire them to see all the possibilities in their life.

How can we identify the gifts in any adversity?

Are there specific skills?

Yes, at the root of any adversity, in any setting, and in any industry, is the level of mental fitness of each individual and organization as a whole. Here's a quick breakdown of how to begin your journey toward a healthier mind.

There are 3 mental muscles you need to be aware of so you know where to focus your learning:

• Saboteur Interceptor
• Sage Perspective
• Self-Command

The ability to intercept your inner saboteurs is all about recognizing which of your inner judge voices are most prominent. To be clear, we do want to discern and positively critique ourselves in order to identify areas of weakness and improve upon them. The nature of the inflection of those inner voices matters deeply. We all have our inner saboteurs, and for many, it is an aggressive, shaming, and belittling voice. This doesn't have to be the case and there are much more effective ways to use our inner voice. Once you know which of your inner saboteurs is most prominent it is much easier to:

1. Head them off at the pass
2. Use your inner sage to recognize the gifts in any adversity
3. Continue to build your ability to self-command so you can consistently choose your sage instead of letting your saboteurs run the show

Of the 10 inner saboteurs, my most prominent ones are the controller and the hyper achiever. My controller tells me that by controlling others and my surrounding environments, that I can gain in the short term. What it doesn't want me to know is that there are enormous negative side effects in the long term. My hyper achieve tells me that my own self-worth is based on the quantity of my achievements, tells me to not take any breaks, and that more is always better. Today I choose to define myself, not by what I do, but rather by HOW I do whatever it is I'm doing. I've learned over the years that it's about quality and connecting authentically with others. Additionally, keep in mind that we all judge in three areas:

1. Judging others
2. Judging ourselves
3. Judging our circumstances

Of the five sage powers, my favorites are my Empathizer, and my Explorer. I have found ways to empathize more often and more deeply, primarily with myself. By explorer, I mean I have found ways to openly explore a multitude of ideas without any pre-judgement of the ideas themselves. This has led to a large output of creative and effective strategies which my foundation and I use actively with numerous strategic partnerships.

There is so much that goes into training someone and an organization in mental fitness. Today's article is an introduction to the concept of possibility culture, and that there are many concrete solutions to improving your:

1. Peak Performance
2. Inner Peace and Wellness
3. Professional and Personal Relationships

The strategies fall into two categories:

• iBG? brain fitness games
• PQ? reps for improved mental fitness

I'll continue to share more info in these areas and invite you to take a free saboteur assessment and experience a short video which highlights my usage of the brain games with a large live audience (see links in the comments). For now, consider how your personal and professional life would be improved if you could consistently intercept negative thoughts, and quickly convert them into positive actions.

Enjoy the assessment and reach out with any questions.

Cheers!

Enrique