With economic and personal financial worries becoming part of many
individuals’ daily lives, dealing with a major life transition can
become overwhelming.
Whether you have prepared for it, like getting married or having
children, or it came unexpectedly, like a sudden illness, job loss or
family member death, it is important to prepare emotionally and mentally
in advance when possible. For some, the stress from these changes can
be crippling and lead to a downward spiral of negativity that can impact
professional and personal lives over time.
The first step to avoid the common pitfalls is to be aware of life’s five major transitions, which are:
- Marriage/Having children
- Changes in career (loss of job, retirement, etc.)
- Mid-life crisis
- Divorce or family death
- Personal health issues
Almost all of us will experience a few of these during our lifetime,
so being able to manage these situations in a healthy manner is crucial.
Napoleon Hill, one of the greatest philosophers of the 20th
century and author of all-time bestselling success book “Think and Grow
Rich,” addressed how our mindset can make or break our ability to
conquer life’s greatest challenges in his 1938 manuscript, “Outwitting
the Devil.” The work was finally released this summer and provides
insights on how each of us can overcome personal challenges.
One of the major reasons that individuals struggle so much with
life’s transitions is they let fear control their thoughts, causing them
to either get caught in a hypnotic rhythm or stall from moving forward.
For example, a woman getting a divorce after 30 years of marriage can
be paralyzed at the thought of having to be the sole income provider or
manage her own finances. Instead of finding solutions to her fears, she
could be in danger of letting that worry become completely consuming.
The key to overcoming fear is to commit yourself to be purposeful and
successful in life, even with your emotional well being. Below are
seven guidelines to squash fear and “outwit the devil” in your own life,
no matter what life scenario you find yourself in:
1. Definiteness of Purpose. When faced with a
life transition, look deep within yourself to find what makes you
passionate. Is it your career? Your family or children? By identifying
your purpose in life and the things that fulfill you, it will be easier
to move past major stressful situations and have confidence in knowing
you can and will move forward.
2. Mastery Over Self. You may not
be able to control outside stressors, but you can control your own
mindset and physical well being. Stay away from addicting habits, like
smoking, excessive drinking and unhealthy dietary habits. Maintaining
your personal health goes hand in hand with maintaining your emotional
and mental health.
3. Learn from Adversity. Every life
transition provides a learning opportunity that can be so profound it
changes your perspective on life after you have moved through it. For
many individuals faced with adversity, they convince themselves that an
experience is a huge failure rather than recognizing it may just be a
temporary defeat. Although it may be difficult in the thick of a crisis,
think about how it may help create fresh opportunities. We have seen
hundreds of success stories of professionals who have lost their jobs
and found after the shock wore off that it gave them the flexibility to
become an entrepreneur, travel or try something they otherwise wouldn’t
if they were still employed.
4. Controlling Environmental Influences. Stay
away from negative presences and surround yourself with positive and
friendly associations. This is often easier said than done, but when
faced with a life-changing situation, it can make a huge difference in
how you deal with your new life. For example, a recently married man
with dozens of single friends who don’t believe in marriage will
influence him negatively if he does not have a strong sense of
definiteness of purpose (sustaining a healthy marriage). He could help
control this situation by eliminating those negative influences and
finding supportive, like-minded friends.
5. Time. Avoid reflecting on
whatever changes may be happening in your life that are not in your
control and focus on positive thinking and developing wisdom on how to
deal with those changes. Spend your time and energy on creating a
positive future. Hill writes, “People are not born with wisdom, but they
are born with the capacity to think, and they may, through the lapse of
time, think their way into wisdom.” By using our ability to think and
analyze our experiences in life, whether successes or failures, we can
gain wisdom.
6. Harmony- Act with definiteness of purpose to become the dominating influence in your own mental, spiritual and physical environment.
7. Caution. Think through your
coping plan of action before you act. Especially if you are in a fragile
emotional state, avoiding rash decisions will keep your stress level at
a minimum. Remember, there is no such thing as “do-over.”
If you feel alone in your quest to banish fear from your life when
preparing for potential high-stress situations, remember that Napoleon
Hill faced a great amount of adversity before achieving his high level
of success. Inspiration for “Outwitting the Devil” was a result of the
adversity he faced and the rut he found himself in after several
business failures and even a time when the mafia was looking to kill
him. After fearing for his life for more than a year, he had an epiphany
that pulled him out of his depression, which lead him to record his
advice in “Outwitting the Devil.”
Remember the seven principles that Hill used to “outwit the devil” in
his life, and you too will be prepared for whatever life changes come
your way. Armed with this seasoned wisdom, you will reach the success
you so richly deserve!
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