5 Big Challenges People Face

Per an magazine article "Success" written by John C. Maxwell; people face 5 big challenges in life - don't let your attitude set you back.

1. Discouragement:

"Everyone gets discouraged. Sydney Harris said, "When I hear somebody sigh, 'Life's hard,' I am always tempted to ask, 'Compared to what?'" Not everyone responds to discouragement in the same way...some splatter (hit rock bottom, fall apart and stick to the bottom like glue) and some Bounce (hit rock bottom, pull themselves back together and bounce back up). The question is: Are you going to give up or get up? It's a choice.

• Get the right perspective.: You don't have to look very far to see that you have it pretty good


• See the right people: There are some people who lift you up and some people that bring you down...go find yourself a lifter!


• Say the right words: Dr. Lloyd Martyn Jones wrote, "Have you realized that most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself rather than talking to yourself?" Instead of compliantly listening to your thoughts, start telling yourself the positive, difference making work ideas you need to hear.

2. Problems:

Malcolm Forbes said: "If you have a job without aggravation, you don't have a job." Here are some basic principles for handling problems well.

• Define what a problem is. A problem is something you can do something about. If you cannot do something, it is a fact of life, not a problem.


• Anticipate problems. A problem anticipated is an opportunity. But a problem not anticipated is a problem.


• Embrace each problem as a potential opportunity.

Norman Vincent Peal said, "Positive thinking is how you think about a problem. Enthusiasm is how you feel about a problem. The two together determine what you do about a problem.

3. Change

Change is a challenge we cannot avoid. Here is one way to look at change:

• Challenges - Change is not easy.


• Humor - It helps if you laugh a lot.


• Adjustments - It also helps if you are flexible.


• Newness - Change gives you a fresh start.


• Growth - Growth equals change.


• Evaluation - Change forces you to look at your life.

4. Fear:

There are some destructive effects of fear. For example, fear breeds fear; it has the ability to exaggerate itself.

Discover the foundation of fear. Our fears are not usually based on fact; they are based on feeling. A study by the University of Michigan revealed:

• 60% of our fears are unwarranted; things we fear never come to pass.


• 20% of our fears are based in the past, which means they are out of our control.


• 10% of our fears are so petty that they can make no difference at all. Of the 10%, only 4% - 5% are real and justifiable.

Mark Twain said, "I have been through some terrible things in my life, some of which actually happened." Cus D'Amato said, "the hero and the coward both feel exactly the same fear, only the hero confronts his fear and converts it into fire."

5. Failure

Charles Parnell said, "Too many people are having what might be called 'near-life experiences.' They go through life bunting, so afraid of failure that they never try to win the big prizes..." People who are stopped by failure see it from a personal perspective. People who are not stopped by failure see it from a process perspective.

Your attitude is what gets you through lifes Big Challenges. What is your attitude today?

Snippets from an article written by John C Maxwell in Success Magazine.