We all have low and high points in our lives. The lower moments often define what’s possible, depending on your willingness and courage to turn them into a positive or to let them simmer as a negative. When we work through these temporary dips, we build confidence and pave the road for moments of enjoyment and meaningful accomplishments.
Low points are defined as that moment when the wind is entirely knocked out of you, where for a brief second, you feel like there is no hope, you are tempted to call it quits and you are even close to using the word failure. The low points can be disheartening, upsetting, painful, embarrassing, frustrating and entirely deflating. You need a moment to catch your breath. You wonder is this really happening?
Low points could include:
· Getting fired
· Losing a major client
· Losing a loved one
· Getting injured or having a health issue
· Joining forces with a new business venture and having it not be successful
· Working on a new product for several years only to learn it already exists
· Starting a business and not making a profit
· Ending a business or personal relationship
· Feeling unfulfilled when you accomplish a major goal
Everyone has low points. You are not alone.
These challenges, obstacles and setbacks vary for each person, and what some may consider to be a low point may not be for others. We all deal with adversity differently. There should be no judgment.
The key is how you choose to respond to these potential setbacks and move forward. The question to consider is: What actions will you take to move past your low point? How long will you allow yourself to be sidelined?
The one thing that is similar for all low points is that they place you at a crossroads in your life. Will you feel sorrow for yourself and decide that you can’t do something, or will you rise up and develop Plan B? In this moment of uncertainty and frustration, you have a choice. It takes strength and faith to face these challenges and believe that you can move forward.
Resilient people use a low point to turn things around and make a change. So while one person gets fired as a manager and decides he or she is not right for management, another person finds a new management role and this time takes a leadership class and reads several books to become a more effective manager and leader. As you survive, and even thrive, after a low point, you start to believe in yourself and see new possibilities.
Welcome your low points because they can lead to something wonderful in every area of your life. For every low point there is a potential breakthrough waiting for you.
Feel free to share a recent moment that you turned into a “high point” below in the comments section.
