When difficult times hit, such as economic downturns or personal challenges, people often get stuck into patterns of thinking ‘I don’t know what to do’ or ‘Bad things keep happening to me.’ Many people think they are victims of their circumstances, and that there is nothing they can do to uplift themselves or their situation – they feel it’s out of their hands. Perhaps you have been retrenched or have gone through a challenging personal or familial experience.  How many of you can relate to this?

So, you ask, how can I turn these situations around?

How does a business leader make it through an economic downturn seemingly unscathed? First of all, they might have financial loss, but a natural leader will recognize the value of other types of assets – the value of 
continuing education, the value of personal development and the value of understanding that every challenge is in fact a benefit.

How many of you faced a challenge which propelled you to find a different solution to a perceived hopeless problem? How did that get you to think outside of the box and implement new procedures which had even better outcomes?

The natural leaders in the world come through challenging times grateful for the lessons they learn. They are the ones who use downtime to invest in themselves to empower their intellect, their understanding of human behaviour and their understanding of how emotions can influence rash or panicked actions or decisions. They become pro-active rather than reactive.

When you are stuck in the cycle of beating yourself up, or feeling bad about things, believe it or not – you are actually building yourself up in another area of your life.  Yes, it’s true -  at the exact same moment that you are minimising yourself  and beating yourself up, in another area of your own life you are actually grander, building yourself up and perhaps even cocky. At the exact same moment inside the human psyche you can never put yourself down without building yourself up. Within this universe there is a complementation of opposites, and what is true outside is most certainly true within.

So where in your life are you confident, sure of yourself and your abilities?

Within all of us is a natural leader. The Trumps and the Buffets of the world are no different from us – they just recognise opportunities within perceived difficulties. You have those same qualities within yourself as well, and are using them in other area of your life. Now is the time to apply those qualities in the areas they may be lacking. Don’t let yourself subscribe to mass theories of victimization – you have the power within yourself to master your experiences and ultimately your life. Invest in yourself.

Understand that challenges are advantages. Take downtime to increase your knowledge. It’s the best investment you’ll ever make.