“In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity.”
~Albert Einstein

There is a great deal of difficulty around these days. It’s hard to find a newspaper article that is not about trouble and challenge. Everyone I talk with seems determined to share with me the latest horror story they’ve experienced or heard. Difficulty abounds.

Yet in the heart of all of this challenge there is opportunity – you can see it and hear it if you listen closely. I’ve been blessed to stand by multitudes of clients as they walk through some of their darkest hours, and then emerge to a new beginning – one that may not have even been possible without their stumbling blocks and struggles.

Recently a client was sharing how stressed she was. She was overcommitted, under supported, not sleeping, unable to fully function at work, overwhelmed by all that was on her personal and professional plate with no end in sight. We worked through the immediate issues and brainstormed quick fixes and stress releases such as cat naps and better delegation. A few weeks later when we reconnected she shared with me the amazing insight she had gotten from her struggles. Somewhere in the process she realized that it wasn’t humanly possible to do all she had in front of her, and she released her control over issues and situations – thereby allowing her direct reports to step up and exceed her expectations and solutions to come to fruition that she could not have brought about herself. She came to terms with her need to take better care of herself, thereby setting up better routines and self-care boundaries that would build her reserves to be able to accomplish more in the long run. She found a new way to approach her situation that brought benefit to her, her team, her organization, and most likely, those all around her.

Take a step back from all the difficulty around (or within) you, and look for the opportunity. Celebrate the possibilities and allow them to blossom and thrive.

Where in your difficulty does the opportunity lie? What is the possibility or potential that is there for your finding?
Please leave a comment.

If you enjoyed this post, you can read more like it in our book, The Power of Thoughtful Leadership: 101 Minutes To Being the Leader You Want To Be, available on Amazon.


For support in looking for the opportunity within, contact Lisa at lkohn@chatsworthconsulting.com.

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