12th July 2024
A crisis is a true test of character, they say.
And given how several people find themselves in a crisis these days, it’s useful to remember some basic lessons in surviving, nay thriving in, troubled times.
Ups and downs are a part of business and of life but how you tackle the downs holds the key to the highs that might occur later in life.
A business you started could run into trouble, Or you could find yourself laid off.
You may find yourself burdened with some emotional upheaval, or a health problem that lays you low.
In such cases, it is important to ensure that you don’t get petrified into inaction like a deer caught in a car’s headlights.
You must keep moving, keep fighting, keep trying.
Sure, merely fighting hard in what looks like a hopeless situation won’t guarantee success. But remember, not trying—and simply giving up—will only guarantee failure.
When you find yourself with your back to the wall, when you feel you are going deeper and farther into a deep black hole, it’s a good idea to remind yourself of that fidgety frog and the pail of milk.
Seems there was this frog, ever curious about the world around him. As he hopped about in the farmer’s house, discovering a new world, he accidentally landed in a pail of fresh milk.
He tried to jump out but the walls were way too high. He tried to push himself off the bottom of the pail but it was far too deep.
With milk clouding his vision, and really no hope of survival, you would excuse the frog for thinking his end was near.
Elders would have admonished him for his carelessness, some even suggesting that he deserved his plight.
But the frog was not about to give up. He kicked, he squirmed, he splashed. Like his life depended on it, As it indeed did.
His legs began to ache but the frog kept kicking, splashing, squirming, even though there was no hope in sight.
All that churning eventually had its impact, as the milk turned into a lump of butter. The frog jumped on top of the butter—and escaped to freedom!
When you are down in the dumps, remember to keep kicking, to keep fighting.
What you do in these difficult times will determine what happens to you next.
Not only could this be the key to your survival, it could potentially be a life changer.
If you find you’re suddenly fired, don’t fret. It may just be the perfect opportunity to hone a new skill or develop a latent talent that can make a huge difference to your life.
People have switched careers and turned to teaching, writing, and farming—and discovered far more joy in their new-found vocations than their earlier jobs with fat pay cheques and fancy titles could have ever given them.
In their most difficult hour, people have started businesses that brought them unimagined wealth. Perhaps it’s your turn now to take the plunge.
That moment of strife, that hour of darkness, those crisis-ridden days could be the opportunity to craft a new beginning, a new triumph.
It doesn’t help to wallow in self-pity, or curse your stars or play the blame game when you face a downturn. Every adversity has an opportunity couched within. It is up to us to grab it And what you do when the going gets tough, is what defines your outcomes.
You could give up trying to scale the walls of the pail—and drown in the milk Or you could choose to keep kicking away and turn the milk into butter, and make it a lifesaver.
Perhaps this explains, in a somewhat convoluted way, the origin of the phrase ‘alive and kicking’!
When you are down and in trouble, keep fighting, Don’t give up, Keep kicking & stay blessed forever.