The events over the past few weeks have made me wonder about what is a precious gift when you find yourself in times of adversity. We accept bumps in the road and minor setbacks as part of life but when major disasters or tragedies strike it’s sometimes difficult to get back onto the saddle and ride your horse again.
Disasters for small business come in many forms including a cash crisis, loss of a major customer, changing technology and the entrance of a new and strong competitor. These are just some. But as the business founder, the business owner, you are the driving force in the business. When personal or family tragedy strikes such as the loss of a loved one, you may take some time to recover.
In certain cases where a family member or very close friend is a partner in the business, your batteries might run so low emotionally that you want to cut loose and not run the business any more. The juice has gone out of the whole thing and you may not be able to face working any more without the other person.
Of course, in these times despite a personal tragedy, you may well not have the luxury to pack in things and start out something new.
This takes me to my point – what is it that motivates you all could sustain you during a personal crisis or tragedy? The answer may not be something you are interested in right now because life and business may be going well for you. But it’s really important to consider what drives you because when you are faced with a crisis, you will know where you can draw upon your inner resources. Knowing how you would react in a situation, is important preparatory work should anything untoward is happen.
Some people may say that the determination and perseverance of the individual priceless when facing a difficult situation. Others would say it is your gift of resilience or springing back relatively swiftly after disaster occurs. Yet others would say it’s all about your attitude or mindset and the way you perceive things. All of these are very powerful and perhaps they may not work independently but may fuse together to get your feet, your business, your life back off the ground.
I looked at a list the other day of some of the top things that people desire most in life. Apart from those such as health, happiness, being loved and having sufficient income, one that struck me was the opportunity to learn. One thing to remember is that during a crisis you actually have an opportunity to learn even though you might not think so or not like the fact. Crisis or disaster, which does not prove fatal of course, can be a teacher and those who wish to learn, no matter how hard it’s going to be, can grasp valuable lessons on how to recover when the chips are down.
Living creatively, being an opportunity seeker and managing your emotions in different situations are also valuable gifts that can help you not only in a crisis or recovery from tragedy or disaster but are resources that you can draw on each and every day to live and prosper no matter how hard the times.
