Some of the most uplifting stories we hear are about people who have used hardship – even tragedy – as a stepping stone to success, illumination and happiness. Christy Brown, born with cerebral palsy and near complete physical paralysis, nevertheless became a celebrated writer, painter and poet; Michael Gates Gill, at age 63 went from being a high-powered advertising executive to working behind the counter at Starbucks and yet managed to make a new start; the members of Nalaga’at (Please Touch) theatre company are no ordinary actors – each one is blind and deaf, yet determined to connect with the world and find deeper meaning in life.

How did these people do it? Now, perhaps more than ever, we can all use some counsel on how to keep our chins up, look for the silver lining and turn those lemons into lemonade. Fortunately, there is plenty of advice to be had.

Jon Gordon, who blogs on leadership, organisations and teams, writes in a recent post about “Turning a Negative into a Positive,” and how complaints can be used as catalysts to solutions. Gordon further expands on the idea in his book, “The No Complaining Rule,”
and in an article for IT World.

Blogger Steve Pavlina, “Personal Development for Smart People,” shares a five-step process for breaking negative mental patterns and gaining better control over one’s internal state. According to Pavlina, with enough practice, one’s subconscious will automatically act to replace negative thoughts with positive ones. Motivational speaker Dawn Fields offers another article with practical tips. One tip that rings as true as it does radical: If you find yourself surrounded by negative people, find some new friends.

A recent New York Times article examines the different responses people have to loss and considers various psychologies that may help a person weather storms and crises. And from a different angle, for those who have difficulty accepting constructive feedback, this article in the Entrepreneur Network, advises readers on how to respond to criticism in a way that allows for improved job performance and professional growth.

As we go through life, we all face our own personal set of obstacles and difficulties along the way, and while we may not be able to control what comes to us, it’s comforting – and empowering – to know that the choice of how we will respond is for the most part, up to us.

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