How do you respond to "Bad" things?

Bad things happen to everyone; they are a fact of life. But our response to them defines us: we can be victims, or we can rise above them. Or, better yet, when we learn how, we can even leverage the bad things that happen to us for our good. Here’s how…

In The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth, John Maxwell shares 5 areas to focus on to turn pain into gain.

1. Choose a positive life stance. Bad things are a given, whether we have a positive attitude or not. But before they happen, we can decide if they’re happening to us or forus.

2. Embrace and develop creativity.Obstacles are often opportunities in disguise, depending on your ability to find them.

3. Learn from bad experiences. Take a moment to ask yourself, “What am I able to take away from this situation?” and allow that to contribute to your growth.

4. Make good changes. Some of the bad things that happen to us are preventable. Making strategic changes can help us avoid bad things – and sometimes worse things – in the future.

5. Take responsibility for your life. No one else can improve you. What you do and don’t do directly relates to your results.

What do all these things have in common?

Well, for one thing, they’re all verbs… ACTIONS. That means if you want to complete them, they’re up to you to do. You are the only one who can turn the bad things that happen to you into your own success story.

These also all represent areas where you can grow. Attitude, creativity, growth, strategy, responsibility – these are just some of the topics I walk you through in my training and workshops.