Wisdom Week Wrap Up: May 3
Starting Over. Again.
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This week I have turning your life around on my mind. The idea of having to start over, even when it seems like you cannot.
How do you come back from what seems to be total defeat? That question is one I’ve personally wrestled with.
I’ve faced it twice. Three times if you count losing over $2 million in real estate in 2008, half my portfolio and being diagnosed with incurable cancer, all within about a year’s time. I almost forgot to count that one!
But most recently the circumstances were business betrayal and theft of intellectual property which destroyed my company, along with the return of a cancer that I’d been battling for over half a decade.
It was this combination of personal experiences that led me away from the business world as I’d known it, towards writing and reflection. And ultimately to create Bump. How did other people manage such things, I wondered? And how did they manage to rebuild?
So this week, I want to share and celebrate three remarkable people who have taken truly tough circumstances and not just survived, but eventually managed to thrive. They all have something to teach us about what happens when we reach deep and let go.
“Life is really you versus you.” -Bryan May
The wisdom embedded in Brian’s story offers transformation, from love to grief, and back to love again. Grief and its painful aftermath is something we all face. Whether it’s a spouse, a child, or even a beloved pet, we all face the impossible task of dealing with how to find a way forward.
For Brian, it was the loss of his wife in an unexpected tragedy that sent him on his path. How would he go on? Was life worth living?
A nascent spirituality was part of his path to recovery, as he slowly learned the lessons that come from his situation. And part of that lesson was to find strength in vulnerability.
Brian’s perspective is one that touches all of us as we wrestle with love, loss and meaning. Is there an answer? What might we learn from others?
“If we change our lenses, we change our lives.” -Julie Condliffe
This is a story that really should become a movie.
In 1998, Julie left Zimbabwe for the United Kingdom, seeking a better life. She arrived broke and friendless. She was so broke that she slept in the old red phone booths that once dotted the London landscape. Her dream was to become a solicitor (lawyer) and against all odds, she did.
But Julie’s story doesn’t end there. After years of successful practice, she faced a social media hate campaign that led to the loss of the legal career that had motivated and sustained her during her early years.
The power of hate and jealousy, amplified via social media, can have horrible implications, as Julie learned first hand. It’s a reminder of the power of words, even when they are a lie. Whether it’s in whispers or posts, it’s the downside of the world we all live in, online and off.
How do you restart a life destroyed by lies? What traits empower one to come back from such devastation?
And most of all, what do you learn, about yourself and others?
“Observation is the first step to self-development.” -Doug Stoddard
Doug Stoddard’s story is incredibly inspirational. After facing bankruptcy and personal turmoil, he turned to neuroscience to understand the habits of thinking that had taken hold of his life. And there he found the questions that would lead him to answers, answers that all of us can benefit from.
What might we learn from observing our own reactions? What motivates our automatic responses and how can we regain control of ourselves? What habits are conscious; which are from our subconscious?
And how do we take control?
It was in neuroscience that Doug started to answer these questions for himself, as he learned to rewire his brain away from old habits towards new, more productive ones.
What might you find if you could rewire your subconscious? Where might that take you? Most of all, where would you like to go?
Producing Bump isn’t cheap or easy! An occasional cup of coffee is greatly appreciated! It keeps me going! And your support is greatly appreciated.
