When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.

This proverbial phrase is often used as a reminder that in the face of adversity, when going through a hardship you should utilise a positive mental attitude and optimism to pull yourself through.

Many phrases, quotes and proverbs are built around this ethos and can be utilised to paint a similar picture - but this has always been my favourite. Maybe it's just because I like lemonade.

So why focus on this?

For a while, I have been impressed and enthralled by the number of friends, and colleagues (both current and ex) that have taken to Linked In to review their journey through their careers and what has shaped them and why they operate in certain ways. Today, I embark on that journey too but in a subtly different way.

Why today?

I am going to publish another article on the full history of what has led me to post this but for those who don't know we have had a 'bit' of a medical scare. Here is the short version.

For the past 18 months my youngest daughter Eva has been struggling with headaches, nausea, fainting and more recently has been diagnosed with Hypertension and even been tested for Dyslexia and was proven to have slow processing. This was when her grades during the 18 months had reduced from the 80-95% area to the 30-50% range.

Long story short, after a visit to another doctor, an optometrist and the Manchester Royal Eye Hospital / Children's Hospital - she was diagnosed and treated (operated on) for a brain tumour and hydrocephalus that was on the brink of causing irreversible blindness.

Why this phrase?

Simply this is due to my daughter. I am constantly surprised by her resilience and her mindfulness at such a young age (15).

I have always tried to live by this method of processing and I would like to think that this is where my daughter gets her mindset from but since we have embarked on this journey, she has been the embodiment of this proverb. She daily reminds me of how powerful it can be to have a positive outlook and be mindful and how they can both drive resilience.

Whilst at work I have enabled, through coaching, others to develop resilience to immovable objects. Maybe it is a challenging problem, a stakeholder or a cost-saving decision that is causing the blocker. You tend to have two directions you can go in and yes sometimes you have to go down one route before you realise!

Route 1

Complain. Moan. Get frustrated. It can often become chronic and constantly built upon if 'untreated'.

These are often our go-to emotions and I am certainly not saying that I never shared this mindset. It is the easiest emotion to follow and is often felt to be justified and I am sure that even the most positive people can't claim that they haven't felt this way. In reality, these feelings don't drive change or enable you to take ownership of the situation. They tend to consume you and drag others on a negative journey with you.

The crux of the problem is that you become part of the problem and over time you start to resent these interactions and try to remove yourself away from them. You also don't get the chance to try to resolve the issue and the net result is that you become more unhappy unless you remove yourself away from the situation.

Route 2

Get clarity. Develop a strategy. Above all try to stay positive and drive change.

It is often the harder route to follow and it certainly takes more mental strength to be that positive but it is certainly the most rewarding in the long run.

It is more rewarding as a strategy since it enables you to process the situation quicker, enables you to react to other outcomes and more importantly is far easier on your mental well-being.

If you can achieve this once it becomes easier and easier in the future to switch to this mindset when the need arises which is always a massive bonus!

In summary.

Being positive about situations, in which you find yourself, no matter how dire can have huge implications for you and your mental well-being. It enables you to be more resilient and at home it brings people closer together. In work settings, it enables you to build better teams. So, it is an obvious win-win!

As I have mentioned I try to live this and I also teach those I mentor and manage in a work setting or as I interact with younger generations as a scout leader or even day-to-day at home with my family.

Does this change mindset always 'solve' the problem? Absolutely not.

This shift into a growth mindset is not by any means a silver bullet. Sometimes situations require more than just a shift in your mindset. But what it does do is enable you to build warning signs in future situations, enable you to build out strategies that work and improve your relationships at work and with your family and friends at home.

BTW. Exploring growth mindsets is making an appearance in another article coming your way soon.

This short but sweet article is the first in a string of articles that I am going to be publishing about life, work and much more. Please be mindful of my dyslexia and I hope this resonates with some and helps others to consider other ways to process information going forward.

Speak soon and take it easy.