Turn Every Obstacle Into an Opportunity

You know it. I know it. The person sitting across the room from you knows it. No one is perfect. We ALL make mistakes. We ALL screw up. We ALL fall short of the goals we set for ourselves. All of us. Every single one of us. No one is exempt. We all think that we should be further than we are in life, and we're all judging ourselves against our own personal rulers. What sets the greats apart from the mediocres is how the greats handle set-backs and disappointment. In those pivotal moments what do they do differently?

We were all put on this earth for a very specific purpose. Sounds hokey, but it's true. Each of us has a definite job that we're meant to carry out and see to completion. But those tasks don't come without their hurdles, and whether we know it – whether we like it or not – dealing with the hurdles is part of our job as well. A sailor can only learn so much by sailing in calm waters. There's only so much growth to be had. It's not until he is faced with a storm and a tumultuous wave or two that he really gets to see what he's made of, and he really begins to understand how to navigate his vessel.

We are no different. I guarantee you the best sailors alive have steered their way through hell and back and have lived to tell about it. The best chefs can create magic out of the most basic ingredients. The best painters don't need a canvas. They can make art anywhere. If you've only been living in the land of Best Case Scenario, you're learning nothing and you're not growing. And if you aspire to be the best and excel in life you had better be praying that you're hit with a storm or two (or three), because THAT'S where the learning and growth take place. You will never reach the highest heights without having jumped some hurdles. It's just not possible. You pick anyone that you look up to in any field or industry and I guarantee you they have a story to tell. They didn't get where they are by mistake. And even if it was mommy and daddy's money that helped them get their foot in the door those doors quickly closed if they didn't posses the elbow grease to maneuver trying times. It's the trying times that make the man, not the sunny days. Remember that.

So I would tell you to embrace the trial because it's being presented to you as an opportunity to make you a better you. What was that show?... The guy that could fix his way out of a bind with a toothpick and a stick of gum? MacGyver! I don't remember much about the show, but I do remember people loving to see what he was gonna jimmy up next. And I think we all have to be the MacGyver of our own lives. We all need to get to the place where no matter how ugly the situation is, no matter how few resources we have we're able to make it work (as Tim Gunn would say). Just remember, every obstacle presents an opportunity. The question is: what will you do with the opportunities that you are given?

My name is Jasmynne Shaye, and this is me STEPPING ON A FEW TOES.