Everyone Wants to See Someone Get Punched

You’ve heard it said one way or another at least a million times. “It’s not what happens to you that counts, it’s how to react to it.”

Boring!

We get it. We’re not measured by our failures, but rather how we react to them. Yadda yadda yadda. I honestly didn’t put quotes on the previous sentence because I think I made it up, but I’m at least paraphrasing twenty similar quotes or, at worst, I’m plagiarizing a real quote. I mean, that’s how corny this stuff gets.

Corny is always true, though. We’ve seen that time and time again. I’m writing you today less to tell you something you’ve already heard, and more to change the focus of the message you think you’re being sent. When you hear these motivating quotes about reacting to adversity you assume that they are selfless pieces of advice when, in fact, they are specific requests. People want you to handle business when adversity strikes. It’s what they want to see and it what they aspire for you to do. Don’t let them down.

Not only should you concern yourself with reacting well to life’s adversity, you should know that people are watching you. In fact, the people that offered you some version of the quotes above are your audience at minimum! 

When you’re hit with a jab, jab, and an upper cut from life, you’re short of love, short on sleep, short on dough, or long on work drama, people are watching. They want to see if you break. Few people’s rabbit ears are perked up to see you reaction to the “best news ever.” People notice what you’re like when you’re getting sued or you get a cold.

Keeping your cool, not blaming others, and managing what you can control (versus what you can’t) are signs of poise that bodes well against adversity. If you show people that, not only will you earn their trust and respect, you’d be surprised what else can come of it. These characteristics are easy to fall in love with, hire for work, and have a friendship with, too. BONUS!

 

Logan Gelbrich

@functionalcoach