Let me be a little personal for a moment and pull back the curtain on my health issues. Not because I want to complain or, god forbid, be one of those people that loves to regale anyone who will listen with a list of their woes, but because over the past few months I have become passionate about advocating one lesson to be learned:
It is not what obstacles you face, but how you overcome them that defines you, your quality of life and your hapiness.
I have been chronically ill since I was about 18. Symptoms range from 3 week headaches, muscle weakness, exhaustion, temporary blindness, muscle contractions, severe nausea, stomach ulcers…. I could go on, but hey, let’s stop there before it gets too depressing.
The bottom line? I am legally disabled on THREE counts. Yet I run my own successful business.
My health obstacles made it hard for me to ever have a ‘normal’ 9-5 job. Flourescent lighting is like cryptonite to me, and I was constantly having to call in sick if symptoms flared up. But rather than sit back and accept a life of a capped income from benefits and stagnant life, I found ways to work around it.
Was it easy? Hell. No.
Was it worth it. Hell. Yes!
And now, I am fortunate that health, wealth and happiness are all elements of a life that I have carved out for myself.
Yes, you CAN change your life
The moral of the story is this: do not set yourself limits, set yourself challenges. Find solutions, be inventive. Look at ways to improve your life 1% at a time, and take the steps necessary to make it happen.
Okay, okay, I know this is veering dangerously close to the ‘guru speak’ I loathe, so let me give you some down-to-earth examples:
- Obstacle 1 – My health.
Solution – I switched to a part time job, and with the extra time I learned skills to help build my business and eventually become self-employed. Think you don’t have time? I have also studied while holding down 3 jobs! Try studying for 30 minutes every other day… in bed, in the bath, on the commute. Then give yourself a goal for the end of the week, for example a pop quiz, writing a paper or applying for a job you want. Whether you submit these things to anyone, or just do it for the practice, you will be surprised at what you can learn and rewarded by a sense of accomplishment at your progress. - Obstacle 2 – A Grab Bag of Qualifications and Experience.
Solution – When applying for jobs or projects I tailored my ‘all over the shop’ CV (qualifications from top UK schools for Russian and Archaeology, qualifications from US colleges in Shakespeare and Criminal Justice, a degree in Psychology, work experience ranging from library researcher to photography assistant to motorbike clothing sales) so that it highlighted skills and experience that best suited the job. NOTE: I did not lie on my CV. That will invariably get you into hot water. I did, however, look at my educational and work background and think about what I had learned that would help me perform well in a specific situation. Always focus on what you have to offer, not what labels society gives you. - Obstacle 3 – I was broke.
Solution – I sat down and identified my most profitable income stream and focussed on that. Let me point out that this was while I was working as a bar maid part time, and I actually worked out that I could drop a 4 hour shift of bar work and substitute 2 hours of online writing to make more money. The biggest obstacle here is that few people dare to let go of something that is familiar and therefor perceived as safer than explore more rewarding options. I followed this trend and over the next three years founded my own company.
There are thousands of examples of inspiring people who have overcome adversity and I am by no means special. Everyone has the power to make positive changes in their lives, although it might sometimes mean making hard decisions.
Challenges!
Over the coming months I will be compiling some Challenges designed to help you get to the nitty gritty of how to change your business and personal life for the better. These will be gathered in a central place on the site, and some blog posts will refer to specific Challenges that will help you to tackle specific issues dealt with in the article.
Look out for these Challenges coming soon!
Wonderful article Angela. Chapeau!!
Agree with you, when there’s a will there’s a way. You certainly found one, or several rather, despite being handicapped.
Do send me those challenges since I like your idea of cutting the BS and make things work, no matter what the odds:-)
Angela,
Kudos to you for overcoming your obstacles to entrepreneurial life. Your enjoyable blog does a great job of sharing your personal story while inspiring others.
What an inspiring story Angela! Thanks for sharing. It’s inspiring to read an article by someone who has overcome so much. Good luck with your blog! I followed a link that you left when you commented on my Google+ post and I’m glad I did. If I can help you in any way, please let me know.
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Wow Angela–I LOVE stories like yours. It really can be done, by anyone with a will to make the changes necessary. “There are only two pains in life–the pain of discipline and the pain of regret; discipline weighs ounces while regret weighs tons.”
Thanks so much for the comments guys. Glad you liked the post.
You show by example Angela, whereas many may just talk and that is something we can all learn from. Like Catarina like the no BS approach.
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Love it! Seems to resonate with what I have been going through for almost two years. I call it reinventing myself.
I’m going to have to refer to this for inspiration. Thanks. Lady!