TURN DISASTER INTO AN OPPORTUNITY…

This week I want to talk to you about how you can usually turn a disaster into an opportunity, no matter how  grim things seem sometimes. Don’t worry, we’ve all been there.  Yet, it’s really amazing how a simple change in your perspective and approach can quickly change everything!

As I have said before, life sometimes throws unexpected curveballs your way. It’s not always easy when this happens and your first impulse may just be to panic or despair. However, there is always hope and you can still turn a disaster into an opportunity, if you just know how.

The first thing is to keep calm and not panic (they are actually two different things!). Then you must adjust your perspective consciously and see your disaster as an unscripted opportunity. If you do, it changes everything. Instead of dwelling on what you’ve lost, you begin to see new possibilities. 

Doors you then thought were closed forever, begin to open for you and lead you down new and exciting paths. Each next step, however small, is then a positive step forward. With time and determination, you find a fresh start emerges, which is usally stronger and more fulfilling for you.

Here are some examples:

1. After missing an important bus, train, or flight, you may then find you meet someone personally or professionally, who changes your life forever.
2. After a health scare, you may then embrace a healthier lifestyle, which transforms your physical and mental well-being.
3. After losing a job, you may then start a small business and turn what seems like financial instability into a fantastic new venture for you.

But the reality sometimes is that not everyone can see possibilities in crisis. Some people find it hard to find the emotional or practical resources needed to go forward sometimes. The narrative of turning disasters into opportunities can also downplay the psychological toll that some events take on people. 

So, this week, try to turn disasters into opportunities. Sometimes, the best opportunities arise just when everything else seems to fall apart. Take a deep breath, look beyond immediate turmoil and tsee things as not the end, but rather a new beginning. Remember, resilience is born in adversity!