Turn the pages of history from yester years to yesterday, we would find that when individuals, families, communities or countries face the worst, they take the best foot forward! Take examples of Warren Buffet and Steve Jobs. They faced a number of setbacks during their career and emerged stronger every time. After World War II, Germany (West) was in ruins and that united its people to put in exemplary efforts and turned the country into a major economic power house at a speed no one imagined.
It is strange but true that crisis brings courage, ideas, focus and unity. It creates a purpose, which has power to drive one and all!
Does that mean we need worst to become best, setbacks in order to shine or crisis to create common vision?
If we look at statistics, the answer would come out as Yes! It would only prove that in every aspect of our life, without going through pain, we cannot get pleasure!!
In reality, nearly all of nature’s rules apply both ways. In other words, if worst brings the best, then best would bring the worst, success would bring the failure and good would bring the bad. It appears scary; is not it? Would it not demotivate people to be better, be accomplished and strive to be successful? Research and experience show that we, most of times, go through cycles of up and down, rise and fall, comfort and constraint.
The silver lining
Cycle of “positive and negative” is a reality; but not a nature’s rule!
It is actually man’s making!! If we have a closer look, we would find that length and intensity of positive and negative parts are not exactly same. It varies case by case. Sometimes positive part of cycle lasts longer and stronger than the negative one or vice versa. People with right and disciplined approach face lesser troubles than those who lack that. This applies to all societies and countries as well!
How we goof, when going is good!
There are very common mistakes, people commit, when situations are favorable, time is opportune, results are showing up and success is on horizon:
- We become complacent or arrogant.
- We become over-confident and over-enthusiastic.
- With better possibilities and resources at disposal, we go high on consumption and low on conservation.
- We get addicted to power, position and/or popularity.
- We focus more on what gives success and less on what causes failure.
- We turn our passion into obsession, ambition into greed and virtues into vices!
- We ignore small issues, forgetting that big ones were small to start with.
- We tend to be less respectful and grateful.
- We start to neglect lessons learnt and rules, which have made current going as good!
These are the gaffes, which attract Worst to take over from Best!
How we act differently, when we face worst and stage a comeback!
When crisis, setback or worst overtakes us, there are 2 possibilities. We may keep going down or we are able to halt it, reverse the trend and stage a comeback. When we start doing the following, we do take a U turn and comeback:
- We gather courage and discover a purpose to restore or regain what we have lost!
- We are far more focused.
- Having gone down or lost, we shade fear of losing.
- Our ego ebbs.
- We start to put our strong faith in value system.
- We feel compelled to implement all what we knew as good and prudent, which were earlier mere intentions.
- Sobriety descends on us.
- Wiser counsel overtakes our weak or vicious thoughts.
- Since fear of losing has disappeared, we are willing to take on challenges and risks.
Look at above 9 points. There is nothing that we cannot do when going is good or we can do these only when we counter crisis. If we keep going through cycles of good and bad, it is because crisis drives us to do what is right and we do what we should not, when going is good.
So, do not wait for worst to inspire you to do what you know as good; do it even otherwise and most of the times. You can then retain and sustain the Best in your professional and personal life!
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