Convert It!

Right hook to the jaw!  Uppercut to the chin!  Sucker punch to the gut!  Life can throw some vicious punches, can't it?  With gas prices, food prices, and the continual stream of negative news pummeling us every day, we can be left feeling breathless - trying to get up off the mat before the referee counts 10 and the negative influence is declared the victor.  Like any prize fighter, what is needed is a strategy BEFORE getting into the ring.  A strategy for being a "converter" - someone who knows how to convert life's negative blows and deal with them in a positive manner.   No matter what punches are thrown or what problems are faced, if you want to keep going and not throw in the towel, here are simple strategies for converting.

Convert it with a Smile!
Smile when there isn't anything to smile about.  Did you know that a smile is the catalyst for all the positive emotions?  Faith, love, hope, and creativity all can begin with something as simple as a smile.   My youngest daughter wrote me a note nearly 10 years ago when she was in kindergarten that simply says: "Celebrate Dad.  I Love You."  I have kept this small piece of paper folded in my wallet all this time.  Yes, it is worn and tattered, but when life hits me hard with negativity, I pull that little piece of paper out, read it, and it always makes me smile.  It's a reminder of the simple joys that can seem so distant when we are scrapping with a formidable foe.  A smile (or even better, a laugh) can pull you up above your problems so that you can get the perspective needed to see things for what they really are.  Have a strategy to smile.  Write down a phrase or make a list of things that will instantly make you smile.  Keep it where you can easily access
it and refer to it when the negative punches start flying your way

Convert it by Being a Willow!
Willows are strong in their trunk and their roots run deep; however, their limbs are long and flexible..  A willow knows who he is, what he is about but is able to flex up top.  When we can stay rooted and flex, we are able to deal with life's changes as they come rushing towards us.  We aren't changing who we are, we are just trying to sway, adjust, and meet the situation as it comes.  As our branches reach out, chances are very good that we will touch another's branches and gain strength.   Many times when we face a problem we think that we are the only ones that face it.  We become bitter, isolated, and brittle.  A branch that is brittle will break in the wind.  Staying firm, flexible and remembering to reach out ensures we will stay in tact.  Throw those branches up and sway!

Convert it by Finding the Silver Lining!
Learn to look for the silver lining.  It may seem difficult at the time, but every dark cloud has a silver lining and we have to learn to look for it.  We may even have to stretch for it and continually repeat it to ourselves, but it is there.  Some would say that this is a form of denial but, truthfully, it is acceptance.  It is an acceptance that sometimes we aren't in a fair fight but that does not mean we throw in the towel.  We keep going and keep plugging until the last round.  Even Thomas Edison knew the power of looking for the silver lining.  When asked how it felt to fail so many times without seeing a success he replied, "Man, I've seen success.  I've found 10,000 ways how not to do something.  And for every wrong idea tried, a new path emerges."  Looking for the silver lining gives us the strength to face another challenge and the hope to face another day.

In the end, life is made up of moments.  It's made up of good moments - like the birth of a child or your first big "win" at work.  And it's made up of not so good moments - such as losing the big account or failing in a relationship.  The good news is that life is also made up of moments of choice.  Where we can choose how we will take the punches that life throws at us.  If we are down on the mat, we can choose to stay there.  Or, we can choose to get up and keep going.   I choose to face the fight with a smile.  I choose to remain "willow like" and reach out to others - giving and getting strength as we forge ahead.   I choose to look for that silver lining and remain hopeful.  I choose to be a converter! 

Keep Leading, Laughing, and Connecting,
Chip