 | Lisa Vermillion is President and co-owner of Get Fit Bee Fit and Thin and Healthy Weight Management. Lisa opened Get Fit- 4 years ago in Valley Center, after receiving certifications thorough the American Council on Exercise as a Weight and Lifestyle Management Consultant and Certified Personal Trainer. In January, she Grand Opened Thin and Healthy Weight Management in the same location. Lisa not only provides weight loss programs for individuals but she also implements business wellness programs for small businesses and large corporations. Additionally, Lisa is a Certified Life Coach providing guidance for individuals in the areas of career, relationship and personal development. She is available for speaking engagements in the areas of Physical Fitness, Weight Management, or any Life Coaching area (goal setting, positive attitude, sales, etc). Lisa can be reached for questions or speaking engagements by phone (316) 755-1115 or email at mvmillion@yahoo.com |
Diet & Nutrition
2012-01-26 14:01:37
Learning from adversity
Q: I’m in my 40’s. I feel like I should be farther along financially, spiritually and in my career. I’ve had some tough personal issues: a divorce, a bankruptcy and a layoff. I just feel “stuck” any suggestions?
A: You’re not alone. I hear similar comments from many of my clients. You have two choices: one is learning what you can from your adversity and looking forward to new possibilities. The other is feeling sorry for yourself and staying stuck. I’m assuming the latter isn’t an option, so let’s look at some strategies for overcoming adversity and thriving. Adjusting your perspective, deciding to learn what you can, and making a new plan will help you move onward and upward.
First, adjust your perspective. It’s easy to get stuck when you believe you “should” be at a different place. Who said you “should”? Is your current circumstance not what you planned for, or is someone else giving you grief? Plant the seed firmly in your brain that plans can be redrawn, targets can be adjusted and goals can be reset. If you’re disappointed in your current state, regroup and move ahead. If someone else, a parent, a spouse, or a friend is hassling you because you’re not living up to their expectations, decide whether you want to buy-in to their ideas. The key here is YOU DON’T HAVE TO. You can let them have their opinion but you don’t have to live your life by it.
Second, learn what you can. The person you are now is a culmination of all of your experiences. Could you have handled some things differently? Probably, but you did the best you could with the information you had at the time. Choose whether you will look back and learn from these experiences, or whether you will take a “poor me” attitude. It’s a fact that most highly successful people have come through all sorts of trials and have overcome their circumstances. Their achievement didn’t happen because they were super smart, talented or rich, but because they decided to learn from their circumstances and use them to create a fuel that propelled them forward.
Third, once you’ve decided to move on, make a plan. What do you want your life to look like? What do you want for your finances, spirituality, career and relationships? Make it happen. Find the resources you need. Look for opportunities. No doubt some part of your head will be making excuses, “You’re too old.” “You don’t have enough money.” “You can’t learn anything new.” Cut those thought off with a new mantra, “I create the life I want.”
It’s a new year, clear your mind of any noisy chatter from others or from yourself about what your life “should” look like. Decide to convert your thinking process from “I’m stuck” to “I can”. Make your plan and begin creating the life you want. You have choices, being “stuck” is a choice, so it learning and moving ahead. Pick the latter, you’ll be happier.
