Chapter Five - Starting Over From The Middle - Nancy Depcik

"We Wish We Had Known: Everyday Tips from Consultants to Grow Your Business."

NANCY DEPCIK

Unshakable Success
Professional Speaker and Communication Skills Coach

www.NancyDepcik.com / ndepcik@gmail.com

We’ve all experienced it. We’ve all faced challenges that have stopped us in our tracks and changed our lives forever. Maybe it was a halted career, lost love, health scare or something else. One thing is for certain, though. In order to survive, we have to find a way to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and start all over again.

      So many times, I’ve heard people say: “I feel like I’m back to square one.” If you have ever felt like this, I encourage you to STOP, turn around and see how far you’ve come. With each challenge you have survived, you’ve learned lessons that have made you stronger and helped you bounce back sooner.

      This is especially true if you are starting your own business. At times it can be scary and difficult, and we begin to doubt ourselves. Where do I begin? Am I strong enough, smart enough, tough enough to make this work?

      Well, if these thoughts creep into your psyche, I encourage you to think about all the challenges you have survived in the past.   With each one you have gained experience and knowledge that you can draw upon. You are no longer starting from square one but are actually STARTING FROM THE MIDDLE.   You have learned to be resilient and will grow from your past experiences.

      One tricky thing about resilience, though. It does not come in a one-size-fits-all package. You won’t find a magic formula or a road map telling you when you have arrived at some resemblance of normalcy.

      Just like we all have different personalities, we all follow different resiliency paths. Some of us adjust quickly to the circumstances that surround us. We start a new business, develop new habits and change directions.

      Others find it more difficult, feeling like they can’t handle one more change. They struggle to adapt. That does not mean they are not resilient; they just need more time, more patience and more support.

      No matter what your resiliency style is, just know that everyone moves at their own pace. There is no right or wrong. Sometimes we are stuck, feeling confused and crummy. That’s OK. Embrace it and learn from it. Just be sure that when this happens, you recognize that this is a place you only want to visit -- don’t stay too long.

      Give yourself some time, surround yourself with supportive people, and you will begin to move forward once again. Draw on the strengths you’ve already developed over the years. These are the same strengths that have helped you succeed in the past. With a few changes and a willingness to learn, take your position FROM THE MIDDLE and start again.

      Remember, whenever you are faced with challenges, you are definitely not the same person you were when you first started your journey. Because of that, you cannot go back to the same place you came from. Your experiences have made you smarter, stronger and more resilient than ever before. Mostly, you know that you can survive the hiccups in your life because you have overcome them in the past and nothing can stop you now.

      Hopefully, the next time life throws you a curve, you will remember to stop, take a deep breath, acknowledge all you have accomplished, and begin again – this time FROM THE MIDDLE.