087 How to rise above any circumstance

Stuff happens. It may seem that you’re always reacting to the squeaky wheels in your life. In this episode, we talk about how to rise above any circumstance.

This week’s Inspire Me quote is from Anonymous:

“When it rains, most birds head for shelter; the eagle is the only bird that, in order to avoid the rain, starts flying above the cloud.”

How does the topic of rising above any circumstance relate to transition and reinventuring yourself?

Circumstances and difficulties happen. We’re prone to becoming victims of circumstance. Whenever we feel our choices are being hijacked, it is easy to become angry, envious, or panic. Unfortunately, these feelings of being trapped often prompt us to react in ways that perpetuate our difficulties.

The good news is, we aren’t powerless. We do have a choice. There is a way out.

How do we get there? It starts with reframing our thoughts and behavior:

• Affirm the existence of choice. There is more than one way to look at and respond to a situation; there are options.
• Affirm the volition of another party. Avoid conflict by looking for a win-win for you and the other person.
• Affirm responsibility to make the choice. You play an important role in what happens next in your life.
• Affirm a creative rather than reactive choice. Look for what you can create—like harmony—vs. simply reacting to the friction.

In Path of Least Resistance, Robert Fritz writes that when we find the thing we want to create and determine where we’re at in relation to that thing, then we are able to take the steps toward it rather than reacting to circumstances. We now have positive motivation.

It’s like we are rats in a maze and the walls are our circumstances. When we stop asking, “How do I overcome this circumstance?” and start asking, “What do I want to create?” instead, we lift ourselves above the maze and we can see where it goes and how to get through it.

“What do I want to create?” is a reframing exercise, a transcendent, that gives us another perspective and a way forward.

This week’s Challenge Me:

The next time you feel that you are the victim of circumstance, ask, “What outcome was I expecting that I couldn’t control?” Then reframe to what you might like to create.

Resources mentioned or related to this podcast that may be helpful to you:

• Path of Least Resistance: Learning to Become the Creative Force in Your Own Life, by Robert Fritz, on the steps of creating; the importance of creating what you truly love; and how to focus on the creative process to move from where you are to where you want to be.
• Strategic Margin Workshop, Leary’s workshop (mentioned in this podcast) to help you escape reactive mode and creatively build the future you desire. Next workshop on November 6. Use promo code “REINVENTURE” to save $100.