Those of you who have read 29 Degrees understand my penchant for reframing negative situations and circumstances into positive ones. It should be no surprise then that I am taking the time here to reinforce these valuable mental tools to illustrate why some of the things that you now consider in your life as disadvantages are actually, in fact advantages.
Once you realize the possibility of this concept and actual turn it into your living reality, the positive mental impacts it can have on your life are substantial to say the least and can be outright transformative.
Can you imagine living through what many see as a catastrophic event in your life and you simply react with confidence and conviction understanding completely that your greatest good lies hidden behind the veil of sorrow everyone else is unable to see? Or that the flaw or weakness you perceive in yourself is actually your superpower in disguise. This is the truth many people are finding when they learn to actively seek out the good that is inherently contained in everything regardless of how dire it may seem.
For a detailed look into how this is manifested in all of the key aspects of your life I encourage you to read 29 Degrees – How to Live a Life of Inner Peace, Joy and Purpose Regardless of Circumstances. For now, lets take a quick look at the nature of “disadvantage” and how in many cases its anything but.
1.The disadvantage of a setback.
Most setbacks actually contain a valuable lesson to propel you higher on your path to success and peace
Can you think of a situation where something negative happened to you and you thought, oh my God this is gong to ruin me. Later you came to realize that the situation that occurred turned out to be the catalyst for a great blessing that later materialized. As you dug deeper you realized that that your blessing probably would not have occurred in the form that it did unless this “negative” situation had occurred setting up the perfect environment for the development of this great good.
A personal example of this concept is when I received a tax bill from the IRS that I thought was going to completely ruin me financially and maybe even cause me considerable legal issues. As it turned out my trip to the IRS lead to me seeing an ad for a house up for tax sale. To make a long story short, I ended up eventually buying that property and making an $80,000 profit in around six months. My big disadvantage = TAX BILL from the IRS actually was the biggest financial advantage I had ever experienced up until that time = $80,000 in the bank.
*Think of something that seemed awful in your past that ultimately left you better off.
2.You don’t actually understand what most situations really mean.
We often have limit adverse situations to the negative impact we can obviously perceive. Once you expand your perspective you can draw the most out of these situations.
My example above perfectly illustrates my point here. Many of us have been so conditioned to perceive the bad in situations that often the good that they contain becomes so obscured that we cannot recognize it. We can turn this around over time by exercise our muscle of positive perception. In 29 Degrees I take readers through exercises that have them probe their circumstances for deeper meaning by pondering certain questions when they encounter what they perceive as a negative circumstance. Like, what inner quality this situation may be building within like patience, fortitude or wisdom. Or, what is the likely outcome this situation will bring about. In many cases the most likely outcomes are not the one they are fantasizing and stressing about. So, all of this stress is unwarranted. Of course this should go without saying.
Sometimes the words “I don’t know what this really means,” contains the gold. I encourage you to bring yourself to the place of blissful ignorance which is, that many times we really don’t have a clue as to what ultimate outcome a situation holds for us. Even projecting the scariest monsters or the most positive blissful outcome is simply conjecture. We really don’t know what lies ahead for us in this situation and sometimes that is really the beauty of life. When we realize this truth, life then unfolds for us like or favorite binge worthy TV show. And we just can’t wait to see wait happens next.
*I encourage you to use these powerful words next time you encounter a stressful situation. “I don’t know what this really means.”
*Then, list 5 potential positive outcomes of the experience.
3.Your blemishes and shortcomings are a vital part of your story and could be the catalyst for finding your purpose
Nick Vojicic.
Nick is the best example that I have witnessed in my lifetime of someone taking what would normally be seen as a major disadvantage and transmuting it into a life-affirming, purpose driven advantage. Nick was born with a condition that left him without arms and legs. Early on in life Nick did indeed suffer anxiety and depression because of his condition. However, he eventually found his life’s true meaning and purpose and became an inspirational speaker. RIGHT! I said inspirational speaker. Just for good measure Nick explains the variety in his life. He is also an author, musician, actor, and his hobbies include fishing, painting and swimming. WOW!!!
In my eyes it would have been totally understandable if Nick decided to just pack it in and wallow in self pity for the hand he was dealt at birth. But Nick found inspiration…an opening. A message that no one else on the planet could convey quite like him. That we were all sent here with special talents, abilities, skills and purpose to share in a way that only we can. And we do this by identifying those attributes especially those that seem like disadvantages. In doing so we give others the inspiration to do the same. How he has chosen to conduct his life is a shining example of this concept.
* So, what is it that you feel is your great disadvantage? Get out a pen and paper and brainstorm. List 5 ways that you can turn this disadvantage into a great advantage, if not an outright superpower.
The world awaits your special gift. Won’t you share it with us…PLEASE!
Namaste
