| You Can Transform Adversity Into A Challenge -- #14 Christians Need Motivation Too |
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Quotation: “No trait is more likely to improve the quality of life than the ability to transform adversity into an enjoyable challenge.” –Mihaly Csikszentmihaly
Motivational Insights: Most people dislike adversity, but enjoy a challenge. So what is the difference between an enjoyable challenge and adversity? Mostly perspective — how we choose to interpret an event in our mind.
Much of our adversity will become an obstacle illusion if we choose to see it as an invigorating challenge rather than as a major difficulty. So how do you do develop the “ability to transform adversity into an enjoyable challenge”?
1) Consistently make an effort. When a problem comes up make a constant, conscious effort to see it as an opportunity instead of an obstacle. Consistently tell yourself: “This is a chance for me to be an overcomer — an incredible winner! There is an exciting way to rise above this obstacle and I will find it!”
2) Consistently ask yourself: “How can I make this situation better?” Collect as many ideas for improving the circumstances as you can. Write them down and then rank them from what you think is the best idea to the worst one. Continue to add to the list as new ideas come to you.
3) Choose the best idea and try to make it work. If it won’t work after a reasonable effort, discard that idea and try to apply the next one. Keep this up until you find an idea that works.
4) See this process as if you were playing a video game. Don’t get upset over the “score”. Just keep playing the “game” of overcoming obstacles and make your personal challenges fun.
Keep this process up and after awhile you will begin to thrive on obstacles. Problems will no longer make you whine. Instead they will make you shine! |
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| February 10, 2009 |
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| I'm learning to do this, praise God! It's exciting, cause usually I'd whine or complain in my mind (if not out loud to whomever would hear it--eeek!). I like it when I actually see growth in my life. I've felt so stagnant for so long. So it's interesting you blogged this, because I always put it as "seeing God in the trials and seeing His hand in them and what He's trying to do (or work) in me." It almost makes it like exciting, even though still painful. |
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| February 10, 2009 |
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| A friend of mine was telling me about a series of disasters in her life -- and lamented that she just didn't understand how to wrap her brain around it all. We've known each other a long time :) and I was able to tell her, "Later on down the line, this will make a GREAT story!" She started laughing because she knew it was true -- in the midst of it, it was horrible -- but given enough time, all the craziness of it would make for a funny and powerful testimony! Doesn't always work that way, of course...but standing back from the dilemma and trying to find a different perspective can help. :) |
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| February 10, 2009 |
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| Makes me shine instead of whine, sounds like Joel Osteen. For most of my life, I was an optimist and seeing only good in everything. Then as I matured some what, I became a pessimist hardly seeing good in anything. As my hair turns grey, I've became a realist and I see it for what it is. Saying it's okay when it ain't okay won't float my boat. |
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| February 10, 2009 |
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Lara: Indeed. We can choose how to look at an event and the way we look at it will determine how it impacts us. |
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| February 10, 2009 |
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| GrammyB: I use that technique often. I tell myself, "I may not like this right now, but boy, will it make a good story later." |
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| February 10, 2009 |
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| Praise Temple: It is kind of hard to be a realist in this world, since we won't know God's real prespective until Heaven. Meanwhile, I'm going to put the best spin on things that I can. James even tells us to count it all joy when we are in trials and difficulties. |
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