Life has its challenges. How you respond to those challenges is ultimately what determines your success or lack thereof in life. Here’s a simple five-step process to help you see each challenge as an opportunity instead of an obstacle.

Step One – Take a Deep Breath

Challenges can be overwhelming and scary. You don’t want to make decisions out of fear or a misguided sense of urgency. That’s why the first thing you should do is to stop and take a deep breath. Remind yourself that each challenge is an opportunity to grow, a chance to come out better on the other side of it. Continue reading →

Failing at something isn’t pleasant, is it? In fact, it’s something we often avoid at all costs. I’ve done it, and I’m sure you’ve done it. We don’t want to disappoint ourselves or others. While understandable, that attitude can be a big mistake though, because failing at something is the quickest way to learn. Don’t believe me? Think back to your early childhood.

When we are young, we are expected to fail. None of us stood up one day and walked across the room. Instead, we pulled ourselves up, wobbled for a moment, and then fell down. After some practice (and many more failures), we took that first step. And promptly fell down. We failed at walking again and again. And in the process we learned to control our bodies, find our balance, and eventually figure out the surprisingly complex process of walking across a room. Continue reading →