Self limitations
So many people have limited themselves thinking they’re too old, don’t have the qualifications, didn’t get the right education, came from the wrong family or the wrong side of the tracks, made too many mistakes…I could go on and on. You get the picture. The truth is that the world has changed and things are different, and the playing field is more level now than ever before.
Of course that doesn’t mean that I can go practice medicine without the education and license, and this middle aged white woman can’t expect to start shooting hoops and become the next Kobe Bryant. But we can figure out what we do well, what we’re passionate about, and find a way to create a life at that intersection.
Make use of technology
The technology available to the average person can turn a yard sale into a world-wide bidding contest for the stuff we’re no longer using (eBay). It can turn our expertise into a teaching video (youtube). It can turn the messages on our hearts into blogs available to millions (blogger). And it can connect lonely, isolated people with thousands of others who share similar interests (facebook).
No matter where you are in your life, you can begin today to succeed personally and professionally…and not just despite what you’ve been through, but specifically because of it. Believe it or not, you can mine the lessons from the worst experiences of your life and use them for your good. And when you integrate commonly available technology, you can use what you know and what you’re passionate about to help many others.
Learn from adversity
Here’s what I mean by mining the lessons out of adversity and using them to help myself and others. Being abandoned as a young child taught me that no one was going to rescue me–that’s self reliance. Growing up in extreme poverty taught me to be resourceful. Abuse gave me passion for justice and an empathy that cannot be taught in a classroom. Being homeless for a time resulting from an uninsured fire, gave me a personal appreciation for appropriate insurance coverage. All of which served me well when I started Child Welfare Insurance, the only insurance organization in the US founded solely to protect and defend homes for abused children.
Live your best life
The coping mechanisms you used to survive to the greatest challenges of your life are exactly what you need to create your own life of fulfillment and reward. Your best life can be ahead of you. Your success will be found at the intersection of the things you are passionate about and what you do well.
So, mine the lessons out of whatever you’ve experienced, and use those things as the stepping stones for the good of others and for your success! You can succeed because of what you’ve been through. For more information, go to www.rhonda.org.
