The Journey Through Adversity

By Richard Shrapnel

No matter who we are or what role we may play in this world, there will come a time, likely more than once, when we are confronted with a challenge we never thought would occur. In life, leadership, and business, your capability to journey through this adversity to a safe landing is a skill you should keep sharpened in your toolbox. Join us in the next few weeks as we tackle the seven principles that will guide you on a journey through adversity to a safe landing. 

Tough Times 

Your capacity to be successful in life will depend upon your ability to respond to challenges and, importantly, those challenges you never expected, which will likely overwhelm you if you do not know how to respond. 

Stunned disbelief, frozen in time, anger, striking out, shrinking down or withdrawing are not the responses which will allow you to face and overcome the adversities that will appear in life. There is a brief period of recognition and then you must be prepared to take on the adversity which has appeared. This is much easier said than done but knowing how to respond will allow you to be prepared and react in a manner that will see you emerge intact and with less scars. 

This COVID-19 season is the classic example of the unexpected and one where many people need help and support to journey forward. 

Many business leaders and individuals have been confronted by Government-mandated lockdowns and restrictions, which effectively locked them out of their businesses and employment. As a result, they have been prevented from generating income while remaining liable for their continuing fixed and variable costs. And at the same time seeking to hold the door open to restart their businesses and lives at some future unknown date. 

Honestly, an impossible situation, asking a select group of individuals to bear such adversity, while others in our community incur no cost and some even profiteer. But it is these impossible situations that we should all be equipped to address. 

Using the COVID-19 lockdowns and the small business owner as our example, let’s examine the principles that can be adopted to enable someone to journey through adversity and emerge scared but safe. Scars are not bad things; they are the ‘metal’ that strength us to be the success we strive for in life. 

Our example: What do you do if you are confronted with the loss of your business in this COVID-19 season? How do you respond and move forward?