Ectra Points: Thriving or Suffering?

Let that sink in for a second.

Struggle and adversity are part of life; part of business. I counsel my clients that risk management is a myth because you can’t “manage” risk, you can only plan to be resilient. Crises will happen, it’s what you do with it that is important.

The social media platforms are filled with people that have chosen to “suffer.” They will post ambiguous statements meant to draw some sort of reaction from friends wondering what it means. You’ve undoubtedly worked with people that boorishly share their misfortune (always someone else’s fault). And you may have people in your life that seemingly thrive in self-pity and cynicism.  These are your “volunteer sufferers.”

If you go into life knowing that every day offers an opportunity for both pain and contentment, then you’ve got a chance to enjoy a healthy existence. Bad things happen, yet they are rarely “personal,” many times are random and out of your control, and always offer opportunities for personal and professional growth. Encouraging and “sharing” suffering only makes one (and those around them) miserable. The alternative – acceptance, resilience, and positivity – will lead to many more “open gates” that you can bound unleashed through.