overcoming adversity in ten solid steps

Ogbo Awoke Ogbo Coaching Newsletter

Success Coach, 17B Salaudeen Akano St, Ogudu GRA, Lagos, Nigeria | (234) 803 488 0518 | Email: [email protected]

HEALTHY, WEALTHY & WISE DIGEST

January 13, 2010

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Overcoming Adversity in Ten Solid Steps

Adversity is a Fact of Life

Last week, many of you wrote or sent me texts that moved my heart. Some of you lost your jobs in the recent downsizing in Nigerian banks. Others have lost faith in the country and do not know what to do or where to turn to. A family of five were thrown out of their house in Ibadan after their father who worked with a major construction firm lost his job. They were roaming the streets without anywhere to sleep the day I met them. Another man who told me how adversity led him to persuade his wife to go and sleep with other men for money so that their family could survive.

Adversity is a fact of life. None of us goes through this life without a dose of adversity. Some people’s adversity even begin the moment they are born. Adversity is not bad in itself. What matters is how you handle it. Some people seem to handle adversity better than others but we can all learn the skills.

Ten steps for overcoming adversity

1. Don’t panic. Panic destabilizes your ability to think clearly. During adversity, your greatest asset is a calm mind - the ability to concentrate and think clearly.

2. Forgive all who have wronged you. Your bitterness and anger mount roadblocks on your way to success. If your heart is full of anger and bitterness against your parents, your brothers, friends or coworkers you will not overcome adversity.

3. Rid your heart of envy, greed, fear and jealousy. If you are greedy or envious, your adversity could destroy you. Out of greed, people carry cocaine or take bribe to survive adversity and end up destroying their conscience.

o g b o . o g b o @ g i a n t t h o u g h t s . c o mT E L E P H O N E(234) 803 488 0518

4. Stop listening to bad news. The more bad news you listen to the worse your adversity becomes. I have a friend. The only time he calls is when someone has died in the village or there has been an accident. Bad news increases depression. Just be aware of what is going on around you but do not dwell on negative information that you are not in the position to change.

5. Seek inspiration. The solution to adversity lies in inspiration. Inspiration literally means “to draw in breath.” Without oxygen, the body dies. Without inspiration, adversity kills. How can you draw inspiration? Read the Bible and biographies of great people. Listen to motivational programs. Meditate and spend time to listen to the rhythms of creation.

6. Be hopeful and courageous. Hunger and adversity do not kill. What kills people is lack of vision and loss of hope. Believe that your condition is temporary and that all will be well.

7. Connect with your friends and family. Spend time with people that believe in you. Enjoy the love and warmth of your family and true friends.

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8. Get a mentor. A mentor might be someone

who has successfully gone through a similar

situation. If you are a widow or single mother,

there might be another widow or single mother

that successfully raised her children. Ask her to

show you how she did it. 9. Exercise regularly, smile, socialize and

laugh a lot. Exercise relieves stress and

increases circulation of blood to the brain.

Enjoy clean jokes. Laughter is medicine against

adversity. Sometimes when I’m frustrated, I

enter the bathroom, lock the doors, look at

myself in the mirror and just start laughing and

laughing and laughing until I start laughing for

real. Try it today and see the magic of laughing

when you are frustrated. But make sure you are

alone in the room otherwise, concerned

neighbors hearing your unwarranted laughter

might bundle you to a psychiatric hospital

before you have a chance to explain yourself.

Overcoming Adversity in Ten Solid Steps

Ogbo Awoke Ogbo started his career with

Shell. Then, he moved on to Chevron. After

years with Chevron, Ogbo returned to a much higher position of responsibility with Shell before

resigning to set up a life and business coaching practice. He trains organizations, speaks in

events around the world and holds weekly

television and radio programs in Nigeria. He has written a book, Financial Freedom for Every

Youth, the first in a series on financial freedom. Ogbo is a member of the prestigious

International Coach Federation (ICF)

10.What is your most important action

(MIA) now? This is probably the most

important step in overcoming adversity. Your

MIA is the very action you must take in order

to advance one step toward your recovery. For

instance, if you and your wife have been

giving each other the silent treatment in the

past one week, what is your most important

action? Sit down and talk. You cannot resolve

your marital conflict by ignoring each other.

If you need a job, your MIA might be as

simple as repackaging your CV or learning

one or two additional skills that can enlarge

your employability opportunities.

Your MIA does not have to be an earthshaking

step. It must not require money or capital. It

might just be as simple as getting up from your

bed and writing down what you really want in

life and how to start from where you are with

what you have to do what you can.

Adversity calls for faith and courageous action.

What specific actions can you take today to

improve myself, your business, finances and

relationships? When you constantly ask

questions like that you would not be far from

overcoming your adversity.



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Emotional Intelligence

Executive Deep Thinking

Thought Leadership Marketing

Strategic Thinking

Managing Change and Workplace Diversity

Effective PR and Media Marketing

Executive Work-Life Balance

Personal Planning

Leading Yourself to Personal Excellence

Employability Skills Training

Operations Management

Business Communication and Ethics

Presentation Skills

Writing for a Living

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overcoming adversity in ten solid steps

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