OPPORTUNITY IN ADVERSITY AND REAL WINNERS’ MENTALITY – A Trait I Find In Nana Addo

“I know God will not give me anything I can't handle. I just wish that He didn't trust me so much”. ~Mother Teresa

“The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen.” ? Elisabeth Kübler-Ros (I think they come into being, emphasis mine)

“You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.” ? Maya Angelou

There many of us who fears adversity. We cringe when such situation pop up. However, there is a great opportunity in adversity. I am sure you have faced opposition and adversity at one point or the other in your life. It is often said that quitters are losers. Too many people quit just when they are about to hit the trophy of their lifetime. It is as if you were digging for gold. Each small hit you make contributes to the larger whole. The good news is, you are almost hitting gold, but the bad news is, you are not told. In this article, I want to show you how to turn every adversity into an opportunity.

-The blow that cracks the crust is not known So, keep striking, because you do not know which blow will break the crust. You may be attempting to achieve something in life but find yourself inhibited. Do not quit. Try again. My piece of encouragement, “So long as there is breath in me, that long will I persist. For now I know one of the greatest principles of success is that, if I persist long enough I will win.” Keep doing the same thing again and again until you get a breakthrough. There is chance for everyone who attempts. There is nothing for anyone who does not try! Risk takers are history makers! Risk taking is responsibility. Question the process, and challenge how things are done. Know that in every adversity there is provided for you an opportunity to succeed.

-Observe the silver lining When everything seems to be blurred, keep your head above the water. That is how you overcome the storm knock back. Always observe the silver lining. That is how you reach the top. When there is nowhere to look, call upon your inner resolve. That is how you keep the hope. And fight your battles with the end in mind. Nelson Mandela says, “Even in the grimmest times in prison, when my comrades and I were pushed to our limits, I would see a glimmer of humanity in one of the guards, perhaps just for a second, but it was enough to reassure me and keep on going.” Like Nelson Mandela, often the people who influenced the world had to overcome much opposition and adversity to better theirs and other people’s lives. Sorrow indeed may endure for the night, but joy shows up in the morning!

-It is the question of half-full, not half-empty When people face challenges in life they are so quick to look at the adverse impact and forget about the possibility of a breakthrough. When you look at the level of water in a glass, do you see it as half full or half empty? The way you see things in life matters. If you only see half empty glasses, you will probably be reaping bogus harvests. Even mathematicians know the principle. When they get tired of negatives, they make them positives. The sum of two negatives is a positive, you see the point. Do not go dwelling on negatives all your life. You are capable. You are counted in; you can rise above the harsh environs of your life. When you are sick, do you see death or life? When you fall, do you see a comeback or complete failure? Look, there are opportunities in your adversity. There are solutions in your problems, and there are openings in your prison. There is no situation that can finish you off as long as you are alive. Keep your stamina, be of good courage. There are possibilities in your difficult position!

REAL WINNERS are those who have positive mentality. “History has demonstrated that the most notable winners usually encountered heartbreaking obstacles before they triumphed. They won because they refused to become discouraged by their defeats”. (B. C. Forbes). The winners in life think constantly in terms of I can, I will, and I am. Losers, on the other hand, concentrate their waking thoughts on what they should have or would have done, or what they can't do.

When you look at life, you cannot help but believe that everything revolves around winning. Whether that is for personal glory or for the good of a larger cause, men and women everywhere place value on the idea of being a winner. Employees, sportsmen and women want to be part of a winning team. Businessmen, politicians, students, etcetera, all aspire to win. Winning offers rewards such as status, recognition, remunerations, etcetera. But the pride and sense of accomplishment that come from achieving high levels of performance cannot be overemphasized. Here are three principles that can turn you into a real winner.

Show others how to win Deep within all of us is the desire to be a winner. We all in many ways wish to be somebody. The easiest way to grow to be a winner in life is to show others how to win. In the business world, showing another your secrets is comparable to professional suicide. Nevertheless, this principle is a winner in life. When you tell someone he can win, you unleash awesome power in that person’s life. When you show others how to win, you are a true winner.

Get people believe that things will get better. Meet two people and let each say something to you. Let the first tell you about all the difficulties of life. And allow the second person to encourage you to endure regardless of what is said of you. You are likely to go with a beaming face because you have been encouraged. When you make someone believe things will be better, half the battle to victory has been won.

Entertain to win I am a good soccer fan. Each weekend as I sit in front of my television set to watch my favorite teams, something hits me. It is the attitude of playing to win. The greatest players are not those who score goals as I thought in the past. The greatest are those who entertain their way into winning. Every player can score a goal. But not every player can score entertainingly. In life this is translated playing your life game with rhythm. It means impressing your admirers, supporters, all who matter to you and likewise your bosses at work, doing your business with a smile on your face, leading people with excitement, and also taking and making judgment with a winning attitude.