The Optimist's Edge by Robin O'Grady

Author:Robin O'Grady [O'Grady, Robin]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: BookBaby
Published: 2013-08-09T07:00:00+00:00

Chapter 8

Turning Your Coal Into Diamonds

“All misfortune is but a stepping stone to fortune.”

—Henry David Thoreau

In this chapter, you will learn strategies for turning your coal into diamonds, i.e. turning the tough times in your life into your biggest strengths. I will give you real life examples of how to change your perception and attach positive meaning to adversity.

You have a life story—we all do—and what you’ve experienced in your history has helped you write the story of your life up until now. Did you know that your experiences with adversity—the worst and toughest times in your life—are indeed your biggest assets? The definition of adversity is: a state of hardship or affliction; misfortune or a calamitous event. I’ll never forget the day I was driving in my car when I realized that all of the things I had been through in the past (the good, the bad, and the ugly) gave me incredible character and made me the amazing person I am today! The adversity I experienced in my past has made me passionate, empathetic, and strong! Here are some examples of how I have turned my coal into diamonds:

A) Coal: Because we moved so often while I was growing up, I went to fourteen different schools. It was difficult; I spent a lot of time sad and lonely because I was always the new kid. I didn’t want to make friends because I knew we probably wouldn’t be staying long anyway.

For a moment, let’s take a look at what I learned from those experiences and how those experiences have shaped my new amazing life. Pay special attention to how I have reframed the negative events into positive learning experiences that benefit me now in my life.

Diamond: Because we were constantly moving, I experienced many different cultures and places. I learned to fit in just about anywhere, and I get along with many types of people. Now in my life, roots are very important, and I love being a part of my community. My beautiful children have had a stable childhood and lifelong friends because I didn’t want them to experience what I did. It brings me great joy to see people I know in the market, at the bank, and around town in our small town. Each year, I have rituals in my home that I never got to experience growing up. For instance, in the fall, I bring in the hummingbird feeders and my front lawn disappears under a pile of leaves that will need to be raked. I bring into my shop all my potted plants that won’t survive the winter. In the spring, the bulbs that I’ve planted will surface once again, stretching their way toward the sun. These are the diamonds I get to experience now as a result of my need to create stability. Because of the instability of my environment growing up, it has been important for me to create stability. I have learned the valuable lesson of how it feels to “come home.

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