Life is a series of challenges, vicissitudes, situations, obstacles, problems and tribulations. Whatever would go wrong would eventually go wrong. The key is not to go wrong when things go wrong. You might have lost your way, a friend, sibling or family member to death, getting divorced, getting fired from your job, or trying to survive the harsh economic weather, everything might look gloomy, and you don’t see the end in sight. Don’t Give Up Yet. Novelist H. G. Wells asked, “What on earth would a man do with himself if something didn’t stand in his way?” French Writer Victor Hugo observed, “Adversity makes men, and prosperity makes monsters.” Austrian American Scientist Albert Einstein quipped, “Adversity introduces a man to himself.”
That is the nature of change, the beginning is exciting, and the middle is messy and somewhat frustrating, but the eventual breakthrough is very rewarding. You have to press on in spite of the obstacles, challenges and crises that you will encounter on your path to success. As former United States President Calvin Coolidge advised: Press On!
“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan ‘Press On!’ has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.” ― Calvin Coolidge
The history of innovation is filled with people that persisted and did not give up until they achieved their ultimate aim:
- James Dyson made 5,127 prototypes of his Cyclonic and Bagless Vacuum Cleaner before he got to a model he could set about licensing.
- In response to a question about his persistence in inventing the electric light bulb, Thomas Edison once said: “I have not failed 10,000 times—I’ve successfully found 10,000 ways that will not work.”
Valley of Despair 1
This is when most people give up. All of the pain of change is felt, and the benefits seem far away or less important—and there is a fast, easy way to end the discomfort: Going back to the way you used to do things. After all, you rationalize that it wasn’t so bad before. If you quit on change when you are in the valley of despair, you go back to the first stage, uninformed optimism, which is a whole lot more fun than being in the valley!
It is precisely at this stage—the valley of despair—that having a compelling vision is critical. Nearly all of us have had times in our lives when we wanted something so badly we were willing to pay any price and overcome any hurdle to get it. Wanting passionately to reach your vision, combined with commitment and the tools and events of process control, is the way through the valley to the next stage of change.
Sometimes the highs are higher, and sometimes the lows are lower; sometimes the cycle is shorter, and other times it’s longer, but in all cases, you will experience this cycle when you decide to make a change in your life.
The Messy Middle 2
“The Middle of the journey is all about the valleys and optimizing the peaks” observed Scott Belsky, co-founder of Behance in his book, The Messy Middle: Finding Your Way Through the Hardest and Most Crucial Part of Any Bold Venture 3:
While we love talking about starts and finishes, the middle miles are more important, seldom discussed, and wildly misunderstood.
You survive the middle by enduring the valleys, and you thrive by optimizing the peaks. You will find your way only by reconciling what you learn from others with what you discover on your own. You’ll get lost. At times, you’ll lose hope. But if you stay curious and self-aware, your intuition and conviction will be your compass.
You’ll get lost. At times, you’ll lose hope. But if you stay curious and self-aware, your intuition and conviction will be your compass.
While difficult to withstand and tempting to rush, the middle contains all the discoveries that build your capacity. The middle is messy, but it yields the unexpected bounty that makes all the difference.
The middle is messy, but it yields the unexpected bounty that makes all the difference.
In reality, the middle is extraordinarily volatile—a continual sequence of ups and downs, expansions and contractions. Once the honeymoon period of starting a new journey dissipates, reality hits you. Hard. You feel lost and then you find a new direction; you make progress and then you stumble.
Meditation
- Daily Calm with Tamara Levitt – Understanding
- As we practice, we may become more aware of our tendency to judge. Whether or not we realize it, we see the world through a lens of biases and judgments. We judge countries by their political leaders and neighbours for their musical taste, and we hear about a friend’s decision to quit their job or get a divorce. Without knowing the complexity of their situation, we fit them into our boxes of right or wrong.
- This tendency to judge is natural, but it creates separation from others and corners us with a closed worldview. But by trying to understand, we are far more likely to find common ground even when disagreeing.
- Understanding takes effort; it begins with compassion and a willingness to step outside our worldview. We may still disagree, but we are able to open a dialogue.
Through judging, we separate. Through understanding, we grow. – Doe Zantamata.
- Daily Jay with Jay Shetty – The Big Picture
- You can’t see the forest for the tree: You are so focused on what is in front of you that you are missing perspective. If only you zoomed out, you would see beyond this trunk or those leaves and view the vast ecosystem they create all together.
Podcast
- MOD Pizza & Seattle Coffee Company: Scott and Ally Svenson | How I Built This with Guy Raz
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