WOMANITION MAGAZINE Womanition2017_Magazine_ForWEB (old) | Page 77

Speaker , Success Strategist , Trainer Lisa Standeven

The Art of Optimizing Adversity

The workplace accident that claimed my right hand changed my life forever . Initially mired in depression , I saw no hope . No career . No family . Obviously , my husband would leave . Who would want disfigured , pitiable me ?
Life is full of adversity . On one level or another , it happens to us all . First , I learned not to blame . It ’ s no one ’ s fault .
Steadily recovering , I bravely fought to overcome others ’ judgement and my own self-doubt . Imagining it all as a karmic “ paying-it-forward ”, I assumed my future would be trouble-free if I could just effectively rehabilitate and regain confidence . I discovered adversity only ends when you do .
Challenge is an inevitable part of our reality . So , how then to live a life of love , abundance and enduring success ?
Growing up , I avidly watched “ The Bionic Woman ”. The television character , Jamie Sommers , was a CIA agent who ’ d become almost superhuman thanks to advanced bionic technology . Predictably , Jamie would find herself in peril , stuck in quicksand or mud . Despite her phenomenal super-skills , she couldn ’ t escape without outside aid , rope , vine or friend , but her calm self-possession and determination would always prevail until help arrived .
Truth is , it ’ s not about what happens to you . It ’ s how you react to adversity that matters . Overcoming hardship fuels your progress towards your goals .
Resilience is the “ rope ” that pulls you from life ’ s quicksand . It takes courage , not weakness , to reach for outside help . Sadly , many lack the ability to recognize or accept available assistance . Instead , they panic , blaming external circumstances , believing they ’ ll remain “ stuck ” forever with no escape . A strong , flexible “ resilience rope ” can not only save you , but it essentially acts as a “ sling-shot ”, propelling you over life ’ s quagmires and beyond .
“ Optimizing ” adversity means more than “ overcoming ” it . Through refusing to succumb to unconstructive , debilitating emotions in the face of misfortune , you render adversity so insignificant that your resilience actually becomes a positive , triumphant force catapulting you forward to overwhelming success .
I ’ ve been an amputee now over half my life . Yet , my incredibly supportive husband and I raised three amazing children , and grew a small proprietorship into a thriving corporation . I have a Master ’ s in Education , my 4th Degree Black Belt and four World Para Taekwondo Championships . I have skydived , rappelled and climbed mountains , literally and figuratively . I have no time for self-pity .
Having recently embarked on an inspiring career as a speaker and resilience mindset mentor , I now teach others the skills and strategies that have repeatedly guided me through crisis to triumph , sharing with all the exultant “ Art of Optimizing Adversity ”.
Speaker , Success Strategist , Trainer LISA STANDEVEN , M . ED .
Creator of “ Brave is the New Beautiful Initiative for Girls ” “ Pinnacle Series Mountain Retreats ” & “ Skill Sync Workforce Development for Persons with Disabilities ” www . lisastandeven . com lisa @ lisastandeven . com Phone 780.907.6332
75
Christina Louise Photography